As a forward heading into the draft in recent years, the Edmonton Oilers may not be a team you’d want to hear call your name. That isn’t a slight at the city or organization, as we have seen players take discounts to go there in recent years thanks to how competitive the roster is. That competitiveness, however, is exactly why young forwards may wish to be drafted elsewhere.
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A perfect example of this is Raphael Lavoie, who was selected 38th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The 24-year-old has had quite a bit of hype surrounding his name within the Oilers organization for some time. In fact, just a few years ago, it felt like it was only a short matter of time before he would be making a serious impact on the roster.
Instead, Lavoie’s time with the Oilers has concluded, as he was snapped up off the waiver wire yesterday by the Vegas Golden Knights. He will undoubtedly be thrilled for the new opportunity, while fans in Edmonton have nothing to do but think, “What if?”
Lavoie Hardly Got a Shot
Fair playing time isn’t a thing in any professional sports, and that certainly includes the Oilers. Opportunities are earned, not given based on draft status or hype. That said, seeing Lavoie play only seven-career games in an Oilers sweater feels like a blunder by the organization.
Based on his American Hockey League (AHL) stats alone, Lavoie was deserving of a shot. It wasn’t as if he had a chance to show what he could do in the NHL, as, like mentioned, he played in only seven games. He was given almost zero chance to do anything in those games, either, as he averaged less than eight minutes of ice time.
Though Lavoie’s first full season in the AHL was up and down, he quickly showed everyone what he was capable of in 2022-23, scoring a team-leading 25 goals in 61 games. He upped those totals even further this past season, managing a once again team-leading 28 tallies through 66 games. These stats all came while he was also playing very strong defensively.
Lavoie Had Made Strides
The biggest critique of Lavoie in recent years is his skating. It played a big part in what led to his demotion so quickly from the Oilers in 2023-24, as it was clear he wasn’t up to NHL speed. He clearly took that to heart, as it was very apparent this preseason that he had worked on that part of his game in a major way. By no means did he have Connor McDavid wheels, but he certainly didn’t stand out in a bad way.
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This isn’t the first time Lavoie has stepped up in an attempt to round up his game, either. Last season, after being assigned to the AHL, Bakersfield Condors head coach Colin Chaulk told Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now that the young forward asked him if he could play on the penalty kill to help give him a new attribute.
“He came in my office last week and he said, ‘Chalker, I need to find a role if I’m going to get called back up and I know I’m in impact guy here and I can score goals.’ Before he got called up, he was a man versus boys, he was that dominant offensively. He had some sniffles in the defensive game like all young players, but he asked me, ‘I’d like to kill penalties.’”
Oilers May Regret Decision
What Lavoie’s comments to Chaulk last season show is that he is more than willing to put in the work to succeed. He is clearly a very motivated individual, and that motivation will increase further following the claim being made by the Golden Knights. While it’s too early to say just yet, this move looks like it could be one the Oilers wind up regretting down the road.
