Injuries to: Matt Savoy and: Matthias Janmark they’ve opened the door for two young forwards to earn opening night on the roster, and each feels ready to take the next step after promising first seasons.
“Now that I know what’s coming for me, I know what I have to do,” Samanski said Friday on the opening day of Oilers rookie camp. “Last year was new for me and I didn’t know what to expect and I think the difference for me this year is that I know what to expect. I didn’t worry too much about it and just prepared for what’s ahead and that gives me a little bit better feeling going into it.”
Samansky had four points (two goals, two assists) in 24 games for Edmonton last season. He was recalled by Bakersfield of the American Hockey League on January 26 and returned to Edmonton immediately after the Winter Olympics, where he played for Team Germany. He scored 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists) in 45 games played for Bakersfield.
The Olympic experience was big for the 24-year-old, who played in Germany’s top flight with the Oilers forward. Leon Draisaitl.
“It definitely gave me a little bit of confidence, playing with and against the best players in the world, which helps you with that,” Samansky said. “I was lucky that not only there but here I was able to learn a lot from the senior guys and veteran players and that made me feel really comfortable. So I thought I learned a lot last year.”
Having Draisaitl as a teammate in Edmonton helped Samanski make a smooth transition to the NHL. He finished the season with the Oilers and played five games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and had a goal and an assist.
“Obviously (Draisaitl) is someone that most, if not all, young players look up to and I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from him and just having him there and being able to talk to him about anything, not just hockey, has been really good for me,” Samanski said. “It was also nice to have someone there who reminds you of home, even if he speaks German sometimes, that’s really nice.”
Samansky proved to be a reliable two-way forward for the Oilers late in the season. He is expected to struggle for control line center. Janmark, who plays at number six, is recovering from surgery in March on an undisclosed injury.
Howard is looking to challenge for a top-six spot, vacated by Savo, who is recovering from an undisclosed injury suffered in the offseason.
“I think I definitely can, and I don’t have to overthink it or anything like that,” Howard said. “I just have to come prepared, play hard, compete hard and just show myself.”
Howard had 50 points (24 goals, 26 assists) in 47 games with Bakersfield and five points (two goals, three assists) in 29 games with Edmonton last season.
“I think by my standards last season wasn’t what I wanted it to be, but I think there were a lot of good lessons that I learned from it that helped me grow as a player,” Howard said. “I came back better at this camp more prepared and better overall.”
The 2025 Hobey Baker Award winner is setting a high bar for himself as the NCAA Player of the Year. The 22-year-old was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning with the 31st overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Howard was acquired by Edmonton from Tampa Bay for forward Sam O’Reilly on July 8, 2025.
“I thought I was successful in Bakersfield, and I want to be successful here in Edmonton and have a great year here,” Howard said. “There were a lot of positives from it and I think I was able to become a better player and a better person, and I think sometimes that’s necessary. Of course, by my standards, I want to have a good year here and definitely have room to grow and continue to grow.”
Howard had 52 points (26 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games in 2024-25 with Michigan State University. He was hoping to make the jump to the NHL last season, but after 17 games and three points (two goals, one assist) in Edmonton, the decision was made to send him to Bakersfield.
In the AHL, Howard was able to work on all aspects of his game and was a more well-rounded player when he was recalled on Jan. 3 to play 11 games with Edmonton.
“It was great just going down there and working with the coaching staff, they were great,” Howard said. “I spent a lot of time with (coach) Colin Chalk, figuring out the details of my game and how we can get better. I watched a lot of videos and asked a lot of questions, just learning. I was put in a lot of different situations, which I think is really important, and I think that helped me a lot.”
