Raphael Lavoie back on waivers and the Oilers could get him back

Former Edmonton Oilers prospect Raphael Lavoie has had extremely hectic days.

Just two days ago, the Oilers made the difficult decision to place Lavoie on waivers. This came as a surprise to some, as he has had some solid AHL seasons and seemed to make improvements in certain parts of his game — most notably his skating — in training camp.

Oilers fans were hoping that he would pass through waivers, but that wasn’t the case, as the Vegas Golden Knights took a flier on him. His stint with the southern market, however, may be short-lived.

Just one day after scooping him up, the Golden Knights have placed Lavoie back on waivers, as first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Waivers today: Driedger, Entwhistle (FLA), Friedman (VCR), Lavoie (LV)

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 8, 2024

Though it remains to be seen whether or not Lavoie has what it takes to be an impactful NHLer, it wouldn’t be surprising to see another team give him an opportunity to prove himself. He is perhaps best known for his rocket of a shot, which has allowed him to rack up a combined 53 AHL goals over the past two seasons.

Of course, the Oilers could look to bring him back as well. The fact they were willing to risk losing him on waivers shows they aren’t as high on him as they were a few years ago, though their limited number of prospects at this time may be enough to entice them to bring the 6-foot-4 forward back.

Ultimately, the Oilers chose veteran Derek Ryan as their final forward this season. The move wasn’t a major surprise, though Lavoie, Noah Philp, James Hamblin, and Matthew Savoie were all viewed as potential candidates to earn the role.

There is incentive for the Oilers to reacquire Lavoie though.

If Edmonton is the only team to put in a claim for Lavoie, this time they’ll actually be able to send him to their AHL affiliate without the need waivers. We’ll find out for sure after waiver results are made public at noon Mountain Time on Wednesday.

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