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Call-up incoming? Oilers place Adam Erne on waivers

Preston Hodgkinson
Preston Hodgkinson
|
Oct 31 2023, 6:59 pm
Call-up incoming? Oilers place Adam Erne on waivers
Perry Nelson/USA TODAY Sports

The Edmonton Oilers are making some changes to their forward group.

Just days after the 2023 NHL Heritage Classic, the team announced on Tuesday morning that they had placed veteran forward Adam Erne on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the AHL.

Erne was signed to a one-year contract earlier this month after spending the entirety of Edmonton’s training camp and preseason on a professional try-out. In six games with the Oilers, he had 0 points and was a -5.

The move opens up some interesting possibilities, as the Oilers have a few players in Bakersfield who are off to a great start in the AHL and could be called up to fill Erne’s spot in the lineup.

Raphael Lavoie is perhaps the most intriguing call-up option. The 23-year-old Quebec native has been filling the net with four goals and seven points in six games to lead the Condors. He is also coming off a Gordie Howe hat trick over the weekend against the Tucson Roadrunners.

 

He showed well in preseason but ultimately lost a spot to Erne. If the Oilers opt to call up Lavoie, it would be his first taste of NHL hockey.

There is also a chance the team decided to bring more experience into the lineup. Former Vancouver Canuck Lane Pederson was signed by the team over the summer and looked okay in the preseason, scoring a goal and two points in six appearances.

He has a pair of goals and four points through four AHL games this season.

Then there is Sam Gagner, who does not have an NHL contract but has been on fire in his first few games with the Condors. The veteran of over 1,000 NHL games has five points in just three AHL games.

 

Another interesting option is Brad Malone, who has been with the Oilers organization since 2017/18 and has appeared in 41 games with the club since. He serves as the Condors captain and has three points in five games so far this year.

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