Former Second Round Pick Finds Himself on Waivers for the Third Time in Four Days

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Daniel Lucente
October 10, 2024 (2:11 PM)

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For the third time in four days, Oilers Raphael Lavoie finds himself on waivers and could once again be donning a new jersey within the next 24 hours.

The Edmonton Oilers welcomed Raphael Lavoie back into the fold on Wednesday after the 24-year-old centreman was lost to the Vegas Golden Knights via waivers just two days earlier, and have now once again just placed him on waivers in a never-ending saga it seems.

NHL waivers simply refer to instances when teams make players available to other teams before sending them to a lesser league, usually the AHL. A player placed on waiivers is eligible for other NHL teams to claim within a 24-hour window. If claimed, the player joins the new team under the terms of his current contract. If unclaimed, the original team can either send the player to the minors or keep them. Waivers ensure competitive balance and prevent one team from hoarding players. Other players often don't go on waivers; this includes rookies or players with fewer years of service.

The reason the Oilers had to place Lavoie on waivers once again is because a team ahead of them in the standings last season also submitted a claim on him when he was there the other day, which meant if the Oilers wanted to send him down to the AHL, he would have to clear waivers again. That means that team in question could once again submit a claim request for him now that he's back on.

Last July, the Oilers inked the Chambly, Quebec native to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000.

Last season, Raphael Lavoie spent most of his time with the Bakersfield Condors, Edmonton's AHL affiliate, scoring 28 goals and tallying 50 points in 66 games. He also played seven games for the Oilers in the NHL and made his league debut.