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Oilers Lock Down Rising Star Raphael Lavoie in New Deal
Early Monday morning, the Edmonton Oilers announced via their social media channels that they have re-signed forward Raphael Lavoie to a one-year, two-way contract with an average annual value of $775,000 at the NHL level.
After making his NHL debut during the 2023-24 campaign, Raphael Lavoie is back with the Oilers organization for another year after waiving his right to salary arbitration just last week. The 23-year-old forward appeared in seven games with the Edmonton Oilers last season, posting four shots on goal and a -2 rating while averaging 7:17 per game. In 66 games played with the Condors, Lavoie registered 28 goals and 50 points in his third full season in the American Hockey League.
Getting a taste of NHL action was an essential next step for Lavoie, who’s been in the Oilers’ system since being drafted 38th overall at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. A power forward with a great shot and NHL size, Lavoie was expected to push for a spot on the 2023 opening roster to add some scoring touch to the bottom six and avoid the risk of being claimed on waivers, but that obviously didn’t happen. Instead, Lavoie spent another year in Bako and was only recalled for a short stint with the big club before being returned to the AHL soon after.
Despite being sent back to the Condors, the 6’4″, 216-lb forward took the demotion in stride and rattled off a career-high 28 goals and 50 points in 66 games. In addition to the scoring touch, Lavoie has also developed some snarl to his game, as shown by a pair of quality scraps, and it will be interesting to watch whether the range of skills he possesses will be enough to land him a gig in the NHL any time soon. The Chambly, Quebec native, who plays both centre and right wing, will be contending with a crowded forward group that already has 12 players signed to one-way deals, and that’s before Dylan Holloway gets his new deal.
Last season, Bruce Curlock wrote about Lavoie being a top prospect for the Oilers and offered his take on what he must work on to take the next step in his development:
Now, what needs to be a focus for Lavoie on the next step is his skating. It is not bad. It’s even the plus side of average at the AHL level. However, at the NHL, it is average and his lateral mobility is not great. He will need some improvement there so that he is not constantly attacking defenders that same way (usually outside to inside power move). The more he can work this into his game, the better chance he will have to play meaningful minutes in the NHL.
Raphael Lavoie has taken quite a journey. It is not completely unique for certain. However, for someone with his size and skill sets, even to be a second-round pick was a bit of a surprise. Does Lavoie have what it takes to play in the NHL? Yes, he does. Can he play the middle-six minutes? I actually believe he can. Why? If he keeps his feet moving and plays responsibly, it is this one gift that could make the difference on a team that needs bottom-six scoring. Just like this clip below
After Edmonton’s free agent spending spree on July 1st, PuckPedia has the team sitting $354K over the cap, which means they will likely be forced to move out a contract to accommodate new deals for Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. Being that tight to the cap could open up room for Lavoie to make the NHL roster, something the Oilers would likely prefer due to his league minimum cap hit and waiver requirements
