A few new faces in new places this week as recent signings and ends of playoff runs have produced lots of movement. Plenty of Edmonton Oilers prospects also remain in the hunt for their leagues championships. The organization also dipped into the European talent pool by signing German forward Josh Samanski.
It’s been a particularly busy week at the AHL and ECHL level. Lets take a look.
Welcome to the TOR Edmonton Oilers prospect update. Each week, we’ll take a dive into how the Oilers’ prospects have done in their respective leagues. We have defined a prospect as a skater who has played fewer than 65 NHL games, and is younger than 25 years of age.
Josh Samanski’s hockey career
Samanski comes to the Oilers organization out of the german DEL, (the Deutsche Eishockey Liga), and had an impressive season. For a league with the average age of 27.5, Samanski was one of the youngest players at 23 in the DEL’s scoring race.
Samanski is also no stranger to North American hockey, having played in the OJHL, and OHL’s most notably with the Owen Sound Attack during the 2019–20 season. Since that season he has found a home in the top German league with the Straubing Tigers.
This past season he posted 14 goals, and 26 assists good for 40 points in 52 games. He posted those 40 points with an average time on ice of 18:22, with 2:28 of that being power play, and 1:16 of that being on the penalty kill.
Samanski’s game reflects has solid physicality, senses, and capable enough skating.
Despite his 0.48 hits per game, he does have a favourable frame and reach mixed in with better than average muscle mass makes him an menace to play against. This can lead to momentum killing and allows him to thrive both on the back check and as a offensive bumper player.
Notable stability, which shows hints of quality pressure and hit absorption.
Senses for the full 200 feet of the rink are evident. In defensive play Samanski shows quality defensive instincts and awareness through some notable risk assessment, stick tie ups, lane awareness, and play anticipation. Particularly this awareness and anticipation was best exemplified by his 1.11 scoring chances prevented per game for his team.
On the offensive side of the game, he shows some upside and growth. Particularly around developing rush instincts, positioning, vision, and offensive poise. Samanski’s 0.82 scoring chances per game was a career high this past season.
Plus his power play time mixed in with the fact that he starts 58% of his shifts in the offensive zone, and has a 0.32 expected goals for should articulate just how much his hockey IQ, and offensive instincts are growing this past season.
Skating doesn’t detract from his game, for his 6’3” frame he skates well, has an okay stride, lateral acceleration, and edgework. Stride recovery seems a bit rigid, and power generation can be improved to further his top speed, but that’s something to leave to the power skating coaches.
Compete level looks around average in most regards: hustle, motor, and intensity, with some flashes of physical/defensive pressure exertion.
Areas of improvement include his puck skills in terms of pass ability, hit or miss pass placement, and deke ability. Overall he only has a 69% deke success rate, which shows room for improvement. Handling looks a bit inconsistent, but it’s something to monitor.
Oilers management think they have found a gem, and theres lots of things to point that direction. With that being said, only time will tell.
Would you be interested in a more detailed scouting profile on the Oilers newest acquisition? Let us know in the comments below.
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Edmonton Oilers prospect updates
AHL
- The Bakersfield Condors struggled this past week collecting a three-game losing streak. They racked up a loss against Abbotsford, and a pair of defeats to Tuscon.
- The Condors sit at .500 with a 28–28–10 record, which is eighth in the AHL’s Pacific division.
- Both Brady Stonehouse, and Connor Clattenburg have recently made their Condors debuts. Expect Ohio State defender Damien Carfagna to follow soon. These are three young prospects that the Oilers must be keeping a close eye on.
- On April 6, Carfagna has signed an amatuer try out with the Condors. That same day Clattenburg was assigned to the team from Flint.
ECHL
- Much like the Condors, Fort Wayne had a three game skid this last week, collecting losses against Kalamazoo, and two against the Indy Fuel. Their most recent game turned the tables and was a 7–0 victory against Cincinnati.
- The Komets have clinched a playoff spot and sit at 39–22–8, good for second in their division and fourth in the ECHL’s western conference.
- There has been a flurry of transactions for the Komets this past week. April 1, James Stefan got reassigned to the Komets from Bakersfield, where he has since collected four points across three games.
- April 4 the Komets signed forward Josh Groll to a ATO, and two days later released goaltender Tommy Scarfone as Nathaniel Day was assigned to them.
- Goaltender Nathaniel Day appeared in his first pro game on April 6, and also got his first career win and shutout in a 7–0 victory over the Cincinnati Cyclones. Ungar appeared in the three previous games. Look for Day and Ungar to battle it out for the crease for the remainder of the season.
Europe
- Sundin appeared in his first two playoff games this year.
OHL
- The playoff journey for the Flint Firebirds has ended after a first round defeat to the Kitchener Rangers. Both Clattenburg and Day have been reassigned to the AHL and ECHL respectively.
- The London Knights clean swept Owen Sound in their first round matchup, where Sam O’Reilly posted a 1.75 PPG, and William Nicholl provided a stable depth option chipping in one assist for the powerhouse.
- The Barrie Colts won their first round matchup against the Niagara IceDogs. Dalyn Wakely has unlocked his old offensive scoring touch posting 12 points across five games, tying him for third in the OHL playoffs points race. Beau Akey chipped in two assists, and has been an offensive playdriver on the Colts backend.
Russia
- Denezhkin’s club, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, is in the middle of their first round playoff series against Ak Bars Kazan. They are up 3–2 as of Tuesday morning. The young Russian has chipped in two assists across five games, and played a staggering 21:41 in the latest game on April 7th.
- Maxim Beryozkin’s team, Yaroslavl Lokomitiv, clean swept their first round opponent, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, in their first round KHL matchup. Beryozkin is tied for first on his team in playoff points.
Forwards
*: Denotes Playoff stats
| Player | Position | GP | G | A | P | P/GP | PIM | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxim Beryozkin* | RW | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1.00 | 0 | Yaroslavl Lokomitiv | KHL |
| Connor Clattenburg | LW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| Matt Copponi | C | 38 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 0.61 | 14 | Boston University | NCAA |
| Maxim Denezhkin* | C | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.40 | 2 | Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg | KHL |
| Jayden Grubbe | C/RW | 56 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 0.23 | 44 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| James Hamblin | C/LW | 45 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 0.80 | 20 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| Roby Järventie | LW/RW | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1.00 | 0 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| Tomas Mazura* | C | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.27 | 8 | BK Mlada Boleslav | Czechia |
| Joel Määttä | C | 35 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 0.77 | 16 | University of Vermont | NCAA |
| William Nicholl* | C/LW | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.25 | 0 | London Knights | OHL |
| Sam O’Reilly* | C | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 1.75 | 7 | London Knights | OHL |
| Matvei Petrov | LW/RW | 49 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 0.33 | 8 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| Matthew Savoie | C/W | 60 | 18 | 29 | 47 | 0.78 | 24 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| James Stefan | RW/LW | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0.78 | 0 | Fort Wayne Komets | ECHL |
| Brady Stonehouse | RW/LW | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| Dalyn Wakely* | C | 5 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 2.40 | 2 | Barrie Colts | OHL |
| Cameron Wright | RW/C | 59 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 0.41 | 70 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| Jacob Perreault | RW | 42 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 0.31 | 41 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| Petr Hauser* | RW | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.20 | 2 | HC Vitkovice | Czechia |
| Noah Philp | C/RW | 52 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 0.58 | 27 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| Josh Samanski* | C/LW | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0.57 | 2 | Straubing Tigers | DEL |
Defence
| Player | GP | G | A | P | P/GP | PIM | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beau Akey* | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.40 | 0 | Barrie Colts | OHL |
| Bauer Berry | 56 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0.13 | 32 | Muskegon Lumberjacks | USHL |
| Paul Fischer | 36 | 2 | 19 | 21 | 0.58 | 16 | University of Notre Dame | NCAA |
| Philip Kemp | 53 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 0.23 | 39 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| Luca Münzenberger | 31 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 0.39 | 18 | University of Vermont | NCAA |
| Albin Sundin* | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Frolunda | SHL |
| Nikita Yevseyev | 38 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.05 | 4 | Ak Bars Kazan | KHL |
| Robbie Attard | 60 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 0.25 | 73 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| Damien Carfagna | 38 | 7 | 21 | 28 | 0.74 | 6 | Ohio State University | NCAA |
Goaltenders
| Player | GP | GAA | SV% | Record | SO | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathaniel Day | 1 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1-0-0 | 1 | Fort Wayne Komets | ECHL |
| Samuel Jonsson* | 3 | 2.34 | .900 | 2-1-0 | 0 | BIK Karlskoga | HockeyAllsvenskan |
| Olivier Rodrigue | 40 | 3.05 | .899 | 18-15-8 | 1 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL |
| Connor Ungar | 34 | 2.80 | .901 | 18-12-4 | 2 | Fort Wayne Komets | ECHL |
| Eemil Vinni | 7 | 2.02 | .910 | 4-3-0 | 0 | HIFK U20 | U20 SM-sarja |
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