Oilers recall Raphael Lavoie from AHL on emergency basis
The Edmonton Oilers have made some changes to their roster.
The Oilers have recalled scoring forward Raphael Lavoie from the Bakersfield Condors on an emergency basis and sending down defenceman Ben Gleason, who was up with the team for a few weeks but didn’t manage to get into any NHL games.
🔁 #Oilers roster moves 🔁
🔹Forward Raphael Lavoie has been recalled from the @Condors on an emergency basis.
🔸Defenceman Ben Gleason has been loaned to Bakersfield. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/3R7sUoTeC4— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 30, 2023
The moves come after Oilers GM Ken Holland watched the Condors lose 5-4 in a shootout to the San Jose Barracuda on Friday night. Lavoie impressed in the game, scoring on a rocket of a wrist shot in the third period to help the Condors gain a 4-3 lead at the time and adding an assist.
You're not stopping this. #Condorstown pic.twitter.com/HQe6zch2DD
— Bakersfield Condors (@Condors) December 30, 2023
The timing of the call-up makes sense as the team is currently travelling in California, which should make it easy for Lavoie to join the team in a timely fashion. The emergency tag could indicate that Oilers forward Sam Gagner may be out longer than expected after suffering an injury against the New Jersey Devils before the holiday break.
Injured Oilers forward Dylan Holloway is skating with the team, but there is no update on when he will be ready to return to the lineup.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters that Lavoie will be in the lineup tonight. He will play on the right-side of the fourth line next to James Hamblin. There is no word on who will be coming out of the lineup.
This won’t be the first time that Oilers fans will get to see Lavioe potentially play in the NHL. The 23-year-old appeared in six games with Edmonton earlier this season in a bottom-six role and was unable to score a single point during that time.
In the AHL, he has been a scoring machine, notching a team-leading 10 goals in 19 games.
It certainly isn’t the call-up that many fans expected, as Condors goaltender Olivier Rodrigue has been heavily rumoured to be an option the Oilers are considering when it comes to backing up Stuart Skinner at the NHL level.
It’s unclear whether or not Lavoie will be in the lineup when the Oilers take on the LA Kings tonight at 8 pm MT.