Edmonton Oilers news has been hard to come by recently due to the NHL’s season going “on pause” due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Finally, we got something to discuss on Saturday afternoon.
The club announced that they have signed F Raphael Lavoie to an entry-level contract. The Oilers selected Lavoie 38th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Lavoie’s standard entry-level contract is a three-year deal that carries a cap hit of $925,000. Lavoie will earn a base salary of $700,000 in 2020-21, $800,000 in 2021-22 and $832,500 in 2022-23, per Cap Friendly. His AHL salary in all three seasons is $70,000.
Lavoie was having another strong QMJHL season before the league cancelled the remainder of their regular season due to the virus. He started the season with the Halifax Mooseheads, playing in 30 games, before being traded to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.
Lavoie had 44 points (18-26-44) with Halifax prior to the trade. Since the deal, with Chicoutimi, Lavoie has posted 38 points (20-18-38) in 25 games. In 2018-19, his draft year, Lavoie played for Halifax. In 62 regular season games, the sniper had 73 points (32-41-73) before taking off in the playoffs.
In 23 total playoff games (QMJHL, Memorial Cup), Lavoie posted 32 points (20-12-32). He was nearly a goal-per-game while playing a major role for the Mooseheads.
In seven games, Lavoie had a pair of assists for Team Canada at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.
Here are some words on the forward from his draft profile.
Cam Robinson – Dobber Prospects: “Powerful forward boasts a deadly release that’s as heavy as it is accurate. Protects the puck well and forces his way into dangerous areas. Just 10 days shy of being eligible for the 2018 crop.”
Hannah Stuart – theScore: “He’s another prospect with NHL size, already standing 6-foot-4, and he’s quite agile and fast considering. One of the highlights of his game is his quick release, but he’s also got the vision to be an effective playmaker.”
Lavoie is eligible to return to the QMJHL next season. The smart money? He’ll be playing for Jay Woodcroft on the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
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