The Olympic break was perfect timing for the Edmonton Oilers. They were having a tough time just before the break, losing their last three games without a win.
Their losing streak started with a rough game against the Minnesota Wild on January 31, where they lost 7-3. After that, they had another disappointing game and were defeated by the Toronto Maple Leafs with a score of 5-2. Finally, in their last game before the Olympic break, the Oilers lost to the Calgary Flames in a close match that ended 4-3.
With these recent losses, the Oilers now have a record of 28 wins, 22 losses, and 8 ties, placing them second in the Pacific Division standings with 64 points. However, the Seattle Kraken, Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks are all close behind, so the Oilers will need to improve after the break.
As the Olympics are approaching, the Oilers have some news about player Josh Samanski.
Oilers Send Josh Samanski Back to Bakersfield Condors
On Thursday, the Oilers announced that they have sent Samanski back to their minor league team, the Bakersfield Condors. This decision came after the 23-year-old forward played in five games with the Oilers, where he got two assists, four hits, and a good plus-1 rating.
Even though Samanski has returned to the Condors, he made a strong impression while with the Oilers. Because of this, it’s possible that the Oilers might bring the tall 6-foot-2 forward back up to the NHL before the end of the 2025-26 season.
Samanski signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Oilers last April. Before that, he played a season in the German DEL with the Straubing Tigers, where he scored 14 goals, made 26 assists, and finished with 40 points, along with a plus-1 rating. It’s clear he had a great season with Straubing in 2024-25.
Samanski has shown a lot of talent while playing with the Condors this season. So far, in 39 games with the AHL team, the player from Erding, Germany has scored seven goals, made 21 assists, totaled 28 points, and has a plus-8 rating. This clearly shows he has some skill in scoring and could become a strong player for the Oilers in the future.
Samanski Set to Play for Germany at the Olympics
Even though Samanski is back on the Condors’ team, he won’t be joining them right away. This is because the young player will be part of the German team at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Samanski isn’t the only player from Edmonton representing Germany. Oilers star Leon Draisaitl will also be a key player for Germany as they aim to show they can compete at the Olympics.
It will be interesting to see how much of an impact Samanski can make during the Olympics before he goes back to the Condors.
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