Oilers steal back Lavoie from Golden Knights in waiver-wire battle
This week, the Edmonton Oilers got a taste of life without Raphael Lavoie, and it was so bad that they decided to get him back.
After picking up Lavoie earlier this week, the Vegas Golden Knights opted to put the 24-year-old sniper back on waivers on Tuesday afternoon. As a result, the Oilers had a chance to bring the training camp standout back to the Alberta capital, and they did so with a waiver claim of their own to reclaim their prospect.
This follows an eerily similar situation that recently played out with the Vancouver Canucks and goaltender Jiri Patera.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report Lavoie’s return to the Oilers.
EDM claims Raphael Lavoie
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 9, 2024
According to Sports 1440’s Jason Gregor, another team that finished higher up in the NHL standings than Edmonton last season also put in a claim for Lavoie. While the Oilers were able to claim him, this means that they will not be able to assign him to minors without going through waivers yet again.
For now, it appears Lavoie will remain on the Oilers’ NHL roster.
Update..Another team (higher than them in standings last season) put in a claim on Lavoie, so he can't go directly to AHL. He is on Oilers roster. https://t.co/INC5guJoil
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) October 9, 2024
Lavoie had himself quite an impressive training camp with the Oilers. After showing off an NHL-calibre shot and potting two goals in three preseason games, Lavoie was among the very last players cut from the team ahead of the new season.
The talent is there for the Quebecois sniper, but a spot on a stacked Oilers forward group is hard to come by. If he were to make the team, he’d most likely be relegated to a bottom-six role with limited minutes, which is not ideal for a player of Lavoie’s style.
That being said, he remains a critical part of the team’s AHL affiliate and represents a fantastic call-up option if one of Edmonton’s top-six forwards goes down with an injury. While he may not get NHL time to start the season, the Oilers recognize that he may wind up playing a part with this team at some point.