Oilers Reclaim Raphael Lavoie off Waivers from Golden Knights

“We weren’t looking to lose him, we were hoping to get him to the minors. We have invested a lot of time in him. He had a good camp, and having the chance to re-acquire him is something we would be interested in,” Stan Bowman said when he appeared on @sports1440 this week.

The Oilers were surprised Lavoie didn’t slip through waivers and reports were that the Golden Knights were surprised to get both Lavoie and Cole Schwindt from Calgary. It appears they have chosen Schwindt, not needing two extra players in their system.

Lavoie will likely head down to the AHL Bakersfield Condors to start the season, but he could be a call-up during the 2024-25 campaign. He’s a prospect the Oilers have high hopes for and have invested time in. They like his willingness to shoot and scoring prowess.

He’s not the most physical player and doesn’t kill penalties, so he’s not a priority to start the season, but as injuries occur or others struggle, Lavoie could get a look.

Lavoie played well in camp and preseason before being stung by an injury. He’ noted’s eager to get a chance to show what he’s becoming as a prospect but having to sit out preseason games didn’t help. “You learn in the American League, round out your game and play without the puck, be reliable out there,” told the media last week.

He believes he has become a more complete player and the hope is he gets an opportunity in Edmonton at some point.