OilersNation has reported:

The Edmonton Oilers activated Colton Dach off injured reserve and loaned Josh Samanski to the Bakersfield Condors ahead of Saturday night’s game against the Utah Mammoth. Dach is returning to the lineup after two weeks between games, while Samanski’s emergency recall from the Oilers’ AHL club has ended for now.

Zach Hyman and Jake Walman also returned, and the Oilers needed no further roster moves to get them back into the lineup. Three players unavailable for Thursday’s first matchup with Utah were expected to play in Saturday’s rematch. Tristan Jarry was set to start in goal.

At the morning skate, the forward lines were Vasily Podkolzin, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl; Kasperi Kapanen, Dach and Hyman; Carter Formenton, Quinn Michaels and Joshua Joseph; and Emil Hallander, Trent Frederic and Howard. The defensive pairs were Mattias Ekholm with Evan Bouchard, Spencer Shea with Connor Murphy, Walman with Ty Emberson, and Mukhamadullin. Jones and Samanski skated as extras, with Jarry and Devon Levi the goalies. The lineup was posted by Bob Stauffer on October 17, 2026.

Samanski, who initially missed the opening-night roster, was recalled after injuries hit the Oilers’ forwards following one game. He has appeared in six games and recorded one assist, averaging 7:44 of ice time per game, compared with 10:34 last season. He also took a double-minor for high-sticking against Utah on Thursday, a penalty that gave the Mammoth an early lead they held for the rest of the game.

Dach is set to play centre for the fourth time this season. In his most recent appearance, against the Seattle Kraken, he logged 12:33, took two penalty minutes and had one shot on goal. He has no points and is minus-4 this season, averaging 13:23 per game, while winning 54.8 per cent of his faceoffs.

The Oilers could have considered placing Jason Dickinson on injured reserve retroactively, but his status for the coming period was unclear. There was also a belief that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could make his season debut late next week. Walman returned after missing the previous three games.

Michael Menzies, an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of Pregaming and Postgaming, wrote the report. He has been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019 and has seven years of news experience as Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville. Menzies collects vinyl, books and stomach issues, and can be followed on X at Menzies_4.

The article was presented by DFO Edmonton Gear, which announced Daily Faceoff Edmonton merchandise. The collection includes Nation Gear x Levelwear T-shirts, hoodies, hats and layers, described as gear for game days and everyday wear. The promotion directed readers to nationgear.ca to shop.