The clearance sale of Ken Holland-era draft picks continued afresh on Monday with news that Vegas Golden Knights have claimed Raphael Lavoie on waivers from Edmonton Oilers.
Lavoie was the second-round pick in Holland’s first Edmonton draft back in 2019, one round after the previously-departed Philip Broberg.
The Oilers did and do have space on the roster for one more player, but rolled the dice when they waived Lavoie yesterday, presumably in pursuit of opening up a little but of cap space for accrual purposes. Lavoie cleared under similar circumstances, but didn’t in 2024 after a second straight 25+ goal season in the AHL.
Lavoie showed some of that scoring touch in camp, scoring 2 goals in 3 games including the last game winner vs. Seattle in his last appearance. He was in fact the only member of the squad to light the lamp more than once during the preseason slate.
The 6’4, 215 pound winger arrives in Vegas with a one-year, NHL-minimum contract and two additional years of RFA rights after five years of development, four of them within the Oilers system. Essentially, a free player for a divisional rival after years of investment. It stings for Oil fans, many of whom remember the (darker) days that useful players like Curtis Glencross, Kyle Brodziak and Andrew Cogliano skated to divisional rivals for what amounted to zero return. What’s old is new again.
More to come.