Oilers notes: Dach gets first leg up on Samanski for four-line centre spot

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeSportsHockeyEdmonton Oilers Oilers notes: Dach gets first leg up on Samanski for four-line centre spot 'I was hoping for Dacher big time today' Author of the article: By Jim Matheson Published Sep 20, 2026 7 minute read Join the conversation Colton Dach (34) of the Edmonton Oilers, tangles with Elias Pettersson (25) of the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place on Thursday, April 16, 2026. PHOTO BY SHAUGHN BUTTS /Postmedia Article content What’s up Dach? Article content Well, off the first Edmonton Oilers’ pre-season game Saturday against Winnipeg, where first impressions may be more lasting with the coach because there’s only four auditions before the season starts, Colton Dach got the first leg up on Josh Samanski for the fourth-line centre spot. Article content Article content Dach’s play was a surprisingly loud statement because he’s been more an NHL winger than an NHL centre; his best work usually along the boards with his strength, while Samanski’s play was far too quiet for a guy who played five of the six Oilers playoff games against Anaheim and earned praise for his defensive chops. Article content Article content Dach’s line with Alex Formenton and Mathieu Joseph looks like it might be a strong fourth-line, as all three having the ability to kill penalties, with Formenton and Dach also scoring against Winnipeg. Samanski’s line with Ike Howard and Max Jones were energetic but didn’t get much done. Again, it’s early but players are on the clock trying to win over coach Mike Babcock. Article content Oil Spills Essential Oilers news, insight, opinion and analysis. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Babcock went out of his way to praise Dach post-game. Good for Dach in his 16:55, not so much for Samanski, who seemed to fight the puck and was minus 2 in his 12 minutes. Article content “I was hoping for Dacher big time today. We need him to be a player and for him to play the way he did (16:55)… to have him the middle not on the wing, I didn’t know if I was putting him in a bad spot, to be honest,” said Babcock. Article content “It’s not playing, being able to centre in the American League; it’s the National Hockey League. Now, he’ll face lots of competition coming along (pre-season) but what I liked is…