EDMONTON: The Edmonton Oilers trimmed their roster ahead of Monday’s league-wide deadline by loaning centre Josh Samanski to the Bakersfield Condors, one day before they open the 2026-27 season at home against the Vancouver Canucks.
Samanski, 24, played 24 regular-season games for Edmonton last year, according to Yardbarker’s report on the move. He had impressed the previous coaching staff but “has not made the same type of impression with coach Mike Babcock,” Yardbarker reported. Oil On Whyte quoted Babcock as saying a player in that role has to “become an elite face-off guy, elite penalty killer” to earn an NHL job.
Oil On Whyte also reported that prospects Connor Clattenburg and Quinn Hutson were sent to the AHL affiliate. Forwards Alex Formenton, Max Jones and Owen Michaels won opening-night spots, the outlet said. Babcock praised Michaels, a college free agent from Western Michigan, saying: “He wins faceoffs, he tracks, he’s in the right spot,” per Oil On Whyte.
The moves follow Sunday’s decisions to loan defenceman Damien Carfagna to Bakersfield and place goaltender Matt Tomkins on waivers, which left the club at 24 players, one over the NHL maximum of 23, according to Daily Hive. Yardbarker reported the team could still send one defenceman down to get to the limit, with Ty Emberson and Spencer Stastney mentioned as possible candidates. That final defensive cut was not confirmed at the time of writing.
Tristan Jarry is expected to be the starting goaltender for the opener, Yardbarker reported. The Oilers will open the season without several injured players. Daily Hive listed Frederik Andersen, Matt Savoie, Alec Regula, Mattias Janmark and Jason Dickinson on injured reserve. The Hockey Writers reported that Dickinson re-aggravated last season’s broken foot and is unlikely to play on opening night, a setback Babcock confirmed.
In Saturday’s preseason finale against the Calgary Flames, the Oilers’ projected lineup, per the team’s website, had Vasily Podkolzin skating on a line with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. CTV News Edmonton reported Monday that Podkolzin has earned that spot alongside the two stars heading into the opener.
The Oilers host the Canucks on Tuesday night at Rogers Place, with the return game Thursday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Puck drop for the opener is set for 8 p.m. MT, The Hockey Writers reported. Edmonton then hosts the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
Photo: Ice hockey arena, by Klim Musalimov via Unsplash. Generic arena photo, not from an Oilers game.
