Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishThe Edmonton Oilers, under the last four general managers, have traded dozens of draft picks since the spring of 2015. The organization moved all of those picks in an effort to find the road to the Stanley Cup, which has so far eluded them.In the meantime, players chosen with selections originally belonging to Edmonton are impacting the game in other NHL cities. Not just fringe players, but bona fide stars and impact types. Among the names chosen by an original Oilers pick are Mathew Barzal, Jonas Siegenthaler, Brock Faber and Lane Hutson.The organization has reached a tipping point in procurement and development. The prospect cupboard is bare.Stan BowmanWhen a new manager takes over an NHL team, it takes time to get a feel for the type of player the organization will pursue. At the NHL level, the pool of talent is well known to fans, so the recent trade deadline offered us a view of Bowman’s style as he shopped among familiar faces.In acquiring Jake Walman, Trent Frederic and Max Jones, Bowman gave a clear indication about his procurement focus. Average or above skaters who can make plays and contribute to the rugged side of the game.Reports that Edmonton’s general manager was in pursuit of Jean-Gabriel Pageau of the New York Islanders only added to the Bowman profile of preferred acquisitions.Amateur additions, or those pros who sign from European leagues each summer, are not well known to fans, but scouting reports help in ascertaining what the new GM is looking to add to the roster.In the case of Bowman, it looks like the organization is headed in a direction that combines complementary skill, size and aggressive play.Those things may be confirmed with Bowman’s first rumoured signing of a player outside the control of NHL teams. It happened this week and could be a harbinger of things to come.Joshua SamanskiThe Oilers are reportedly signing Joshua Samanski, signalling an active spring of signings. He has skill, and is among the best young players in the DEL (Germany’s top league) this season.He’s also big (listed at 6-foot-5, 189 pounds, via hockeydb) and a centre, He led his team in goals and assists during the 2024-25 season.Samanski plays in all three game states. He scored seven goals at even strength, three on the power play and (incredibly) four short-handed during the season for Straubing Tigers.Samanski just turned 23, and reports surrounding his foot speed are encouraging. That’s at least as important as the statistics, as most pro players with his size who can scoot are in an NHL organization by the time they reach his age.Samanski’s 40 points in 2024-25 ranked him No. 23 in league scoring. He was the youngest player inside the top 50 in DEL points.More to come? Samanski’s prospect profile reads well, with the understanding that questions about foot speed won’t find their answer until the fall.His rumoured signing is an indication that the organization is turning in a new direction.During the period when Peter Chiarelli was general manager, the Oilers invested heavily in free-agent signings outside the NHL. College men like Matt Benning and Drake Caggiula, along with European free agency (Yohann Auvitu, Iiro Pakarinen), were a strong pipeline for Edmonton during those years.Ken Holland succeeded Chiarelli and took a more passive approach. The organization signed many college free agents and undrafted CHL grads, but most were handed AHL deals with the chance to work up to an NHL contract. That worked in two cases (Vincent Desharnais, James Hamblin), but the higher-end free agents (especially the college kids) signed NHL deals elsewhere.Samanski is not from a U.S. college or the CHL, but rather from Europe and the German league.When he was GM in Chicago, Bowman signed several effective European players, including Artemi Panarin, Michal Kempny and David Kampf. He even signed an original Oilers draft choice (Erik Gustafsson) the Oilers declined to offer a contract.Europe is an area where Bowman has had success in the past. If he’s uncovered a gem in Samanski, that’s a win for the organization in an area they were not shopping one year ago.Impact in Edmonton and BakersfieldThe Oilers need to restore something close to a prospect pipeline, and will have to do it with very few draft picks.During the Holland era, the team’s reliance on NHL free agents became so pronounced that the roster is now aging in several places without having won the Stanley Cup.The number of players in the organization who could thrive during their inexpensive entry-level deals is at a low ebb. It’s a serious issue.As the new Leon Draisaitl contract ($14 million starting next season) will be joined by new deals for Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard, the importance of young, effective and inexpensive talent becomes even more pronounced.Matt Savoie should be a lock for NHL work next season and on a skill line with a cap hit that will land below $2 million next season even if he hits all his bonuses.That’s a key addition to the club, because Savoie can occupy a foundational spot (top two lines, top two pairings, starting goalie and No. 3 centre) in the organization.After that, the team has some nice complementary pieces (Noah Philp, Alec Regula are both restricted but their cap hits won’t be massive), but no one who looks poised to take on a substantial role.The signing of Samanski shouldn’t be viewed as a guarantee that the team has solved a foundational roster issue. What it does tell us is that Bowman is in the market, and looking for bigger men who can deliver offence, provide a range of two-way skills and take care of themselves physically.There are five players (Savoie, Matvey Petrov, Jacob Perreault, James Stefan, Roby Jarventie) who have played in Bakersfield this season and are younger than Samanski. Not all will return. Acquiring players aged 20-to-24 gives them a chance to slide up the depth chart quickly while under a value contract.Bowman needs to sign five or six similar players in an effort to shore up the system.Based on early reports, the work has begun.(Photo of Joshua Samanski and Jan Mysak: Codie McLachlan / Getty Images)
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