EDMONTON, AB – After being summoned from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors earlier this morning, forward Josh Samanski has arrived in Oil Country to make his NHL debut tonight when the Edmonton Oilers continue their homestand at Rogers Place against the Anaheim Ducks.
"It's obviously awesome," Samanski said pre-game on Monday. "Very excited to get things started and just experience my first game. You want to get a chance, so I'm very happy that I can get the opportunity, and I'm looking forward to showcasing my skills."
The 23-year-old German has been putting together a strong first professional season in North America with the Condors, posting seven goals and 21 assists in 39 AHL games as a top-six centre in Bakersfield after spending the previous four years with the Straubing Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
"I think getting to North America again for the first time, a little bit of a learning curve," he said. "But I think from staff to players, we did a good job helping me adjust, and I just felt really comfortable from the get-go, so I think I improved my two-way game, and it's been good there."
Only four of Samanski's points in the AHL this season have come on the power play – all assists – and Head Coach Kris Knoblauch is excited to see firsthand how Samanski's size, speed, and tenacity will adapt back to the NHL after first seeing the German play during Training Camp and Preseason.
"When he came here, we didn't know what he was going to provide, especially since the coaching staff had never seen him play and didn't know if he was ever going to play in the NHL," Knoblauch said. "He came to Training Camp, had an outstanding camp, made a very strong impression with everybody. He wasn't ready to be in the NHL from day one, but went down to Bakersfield playing the North American game and played really well."
