The Edmonton Oilers are done making moves for the summer. According to the GM, the salary cap space they do have will be used in-season or just ahead of the deadline, and the most likely trade the team will make is for a forward. What kind of forward might have a lot to do with how the new head coach takes to some of his players.
One of the more intriguing names to watch will be Josh Samanski. If the rookie can win a job, it means the Oilers don't need to prioritize a fourth-line center. If he can't, the Oilers might need to find an upgrade.
Bowman explained, “But we’ve got to see how some of these players play in the new system with Mike [Babcock]. He’s going to get familiar with the players, number one, but also the style that he wants to play, the accountability that he’s going to hold."
Josh Samanski is the presumptive favorite to play the fourth-line center role this season. That said, he'll have to earn it. Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer has floated the idea that Edmonton could still go outside the organization for center help. Samanski could open the season in the AHL rather than the NHL, while Inside Sports' host Brendan Escott called the fourth-line center spot the single biggest question mark on the roster.
If Samanski gets a run under Babcock in the NHL, whatever leash Samanski gets this fall will be decided by a coach whose reputation with young players is mixed. Some believe he's not the kind of coach to encourage development. Others point to Babcock's Toronto tenure, which produced Zach Hyman and Connor Brown. Both were players who earned trust through work ethic rather than pedigree, which is exactly what Samanski will have to do.
There is a good chance Samanski excels under this style of coach. The young forward is learning, but his instincts and hockey IQ stand out as a strength. Babcock needs to know that Samanski won't get hemmed in his own zone, even if he isn't producing much offensively. If he can chip in offense, even better.
Depending on how Babcock deploys Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl—there has already been a suggestion he'll play them together quite often—it changes the team's center depth. Jason Dickinson will be the third-line center and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could be the second-line pivot. As a fourth-line center, Samanski doesn't need to be a scorer. He just needs to hold it down so Babcock doesn't feel compelled to bench him or go shopping for a veteran replacement.
How long it takes Babcock to make the determination could be the story of Samanski's season and a true indicator of what Bowman goes shopping for ahead of the deadline.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.