Last week, Raphael Lavoie signed with the Edmonton Oilers to a one-year, two-way contract extension valued at $874,125. He was among five players set to become restricted free agents that received qualifying offers from the Oilers on June 29.
With that bit of business taken care of, Lavoie can focus solely on preparing for the second consecutive most important year of his career. The right-shot forward, who will turn 23 in September, just faced something of a make-or-break season in 2022-23, and ultimately rose to the occasion.
Lavoie Proved Himself in Bakersfield
In 61 games for Edmonton’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, Lavoie potted a team-leading 25 goals while adding 20 assists for 45 points to go with a plus/minus rating of plus-10. Most impressively, he ranked second in the AHL for the 2022-23 season with nine game-winning goals.
After being held pointless in 11 of 13 games during November, Lavoie racked up 23 goals and 19 assists in his final 48 appearances. He only had seven points as of New Year’s Eve, but registered more than twice that many points, with seven goals and eight assists, in January alone.
Without a strong campaign, Lavoie might not have received a qualifying offer from the Oilers. He was coming off an underwhelming season with Bakersfield in 2021-22, when as a second-year pro he managed just 26 points before having his season end early with a knee injury that required surgery.
Lavoie needed to show the Oilers signs of what made Edmonton select him 38th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, and the former Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) standout with the Halifax Mooseheads and Chicoutimi Sagueneens did just that. Now, riding the momentum from last season, he is in a position to take another step and push for a spot in the NHL in 2023-24.
There may be such an opportunity with the Oilers, who ostensibly have an opening on their fourth line at right wing, behind Connor Brown, Zach Hyman and Warren Foegele. There also could be some minutes available at center, a position that Lavoie has plenty of experience playing throughout his hockey career.
Lavoie Can Help the Oilers
The 6-foot-4 Lavoie possesses size and skating ability, two attributes that no team can have enough of. The former is especially coveted by the Oilers, who currently don’t have any other forwards taller than 6-foot-2, and appear to be making a philosophical shift toward a larger lineup. Edmonton recently moved on from 5-foot-8, 153-pound forward Kailer Yamamoto, by trading away the scrappy winger whose small stature was seen by some as a detriment.
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What potentially really sets Lavoie apart is his shot. The native of Chamby, Que., led Bakersfield with 184 shots on goal in 2022-23, while posting a very respectable 13.6 shooting percentage. Depth scoring continues to be a need for the Oilers, and Lavoie could become the fourth-line offensive threat that all championship teams seem to have.
An added bonus is Lavoie’s emerging ability to play in shorthanded situations. He started getting minutes on Bakersfield’s penalty kill as the 2022-23 season wore on, showing increased confidence defensively (from ‘Raphael Lavoie hoping he can give Edmonton Oilers a boost up front’, The Edmonton Sun, 6/9/23). That makes Lavoie a more appealing bottom-six option than other players who may not be as versatile.
Lavoie’s Outlook for Upcoming Season
It bears mentioning that following surgery on his knee last year, Lavoie wasn’t even on the ice until August, and he missed Oilers training camp. What he demonstrated in returning from injury, having his best season, and evolving into a more complete player all while facing the pressure of needing to demonstrate his worth, speaks volumes, and should inspire confidence that the big forward can transition smoothly and quickly into the NHL.
On the terms of his new contract, Lavoie is waiver-eligible, meaning the Oilers risk having him scooped up by another team should they assign him to Bakersfield. That could factor into whether Lavoie makes Edmonton’s season-opening roster.
Another year in the AHL wouldn’t be the worst thing for Lavoie, either. Judging by his overall development in 2022-23, he is benefitting from and maximizing his time in the minors. And Oilers general manager Ken Holland is known to prefer players to be overripe than the alternative.
It all makes for arguably the most interesting story on the Oilers to follow coming up in training camp and through the preseason. What a difference 12 months makes.