I don’t know if you were around to catch it, but last night I was a guest on the Oilers Live podcast. We talked about the Edmonton Oilers roster in general, what we liked, didn’t like, what changes we think it could use. We also touched the young player I’m going to talk about today in addition to the Hart Trophy debate. As always, there was some rumor talk too!
https://youtu.be/yz54PZ9e0q8?t=3150
Also, don’t forget to head over to the BLH Instagram page (if that’s your bag) and follow us there! We’ve added nearly 500 followers since we got going again last month and we’re growing a really great community that is quite engaging I’m finding.
Over the last week or so I’ve been trying to get in contact with as many hockey scouts based in Quebec as possible because I wanted to know more about the player that the Edmonton Oilers just signed to a 3-year ELC contract, Raphael Lavoie.
Now, it’s probably been a while since you’ve read any reports on this fella so let me bring you up to speed on a few of the things the 2019 NHL Draft Book had to say about him and keep in mind this was after that 20-goal post-season in Halifax and the Memorial Cup where his team lost in the final (and he scored a beauty of a goal in).
- He’s not a high-end skater but for a 6’4″ kid his skating won’t hinder him at the next level.
- Lavoie is at his best when he competes hard and is involved in the play.
- When he’s on, Lavoie is a threat. He has a big-time shot and can score from almost anywhere in the offensive zone. It’s an NHL-caliber shot which is accurate, has great velocity, and he’s quick to get it off.
- He’s got above-average vision, can make plays for his teammates with some high-caliber passes.
- He does good work using his big frame to protect pucks along the boards and with his long reach, it’s tough to take the puck away from him.
That was the good, now here’s the bad.
- Our biggest issue with him as he’s not a consistently hard-worker and you don’t know what you’re going to get out of him each game. With his skill level, size, and being one of the older players in this draft class, we expected him to be a dominant player in the league, but he was just barely over a point-per-game over the course of the year. This is a bit concerning when you consider he played in the QMJHL which was weak this year and played often against Saint John and Acadie-Bathurst, two teams he should have dominated but didn’t.
- Even with his big frame, he’s not a physical player, he lacks a good compete level and won’t throw many hits on the ice.
Now for a few quotes from scouts,
“He is playing bad teams a lot and he isn’t exactly lighting up the league. The Sea Dogs and Acadie are like tier II teams and he’s invisible.” – NHL Scout, December 2018
“A lot of his skill is individual skill. He doesn’t see the ice well and didn’t make guys around him better. He isn’t good at all defensively but the hope is you could fix that.” – NHL Scout, April 2019
“Had two scouts mention him to me as one of their weaker interviews.” – HP Scout, Mark Edwards, June 2019
I think there’s a reason he dropped to the 2nd round and possibly those reasons are due to what’s between his ears. That last quote I find funny because Lavoie was interviewed by Bob Stauffer on his radio show recently and the young man came off as quite a good speaker. So I wonder if he’s very headstrong and unwilling to give answers that those scouts wanted to hear or if possible he’s really improved his speaking game.
As for not dominating the opposition, that must’ve been an issue in his draft year because this season he’s had his way on the scoresheet more or less with 82pts in 55 games. 32 of those points being goals and 20 of those goals coming after his trade from Halifax to Chicoutimi where he rang those up in a mere 25 games.
Edmonton Oilers Director of Player Development, Scott Howson had this to say on Lavoie,
“He’s going to have to check hard, be reliable,” Howson continued. “He’s got a great shot. He’s a one-shot scorer who only needs one chance. His pace of play isn’t always terrific, as it is with a lot of the top players in junior because they play so much that they rest on the ice a lot of the time. And there was no resting on the ice at the World Juniors.
“Leg strength, core strength, power,” began Howson. “He’s a good skater in junior — there’s nothing wrong with his stride. It’s just power and strength. He’s got to get a little more powerful off the mark. He’s got to separate from people, because when you’re a pro it’s all about getting the time and space for you to make plays or get a shot off. His separation isn’t what it’s going to need to be once he gets to the NHL.” (source)
As for what the scouts said that I talked to, here are a couple more quotes from them,
“Everything will fall into place when Lavoie finds his compete level and consistency. I believe Lavoie is probably two years away from the NHL and will be a very effective top six forward for the Oilers.” – QMJHL Scout #1
“He is a very exciting player to watch, A large and skilled player. Offensively, his release stands out, whenever he has the puck expect a scoring chance. His biggest asset is his shot. I believe it will take him a bit to transition into the pro game from junior and he will need time but once he gets comfortable he will be very fun to watch.” – QMJHL Scout #2
“Sure, Raphael Lavoie is the kind of big goal scorer that can put the puck in the net from everywhere. Powerful, NHL shot, quick hands, solid on his puck. Not sure he’ll play for the Oilers before maybe 2-3 years in the AHL, but he’s the kind of guy that could turned out really well, or he’ll be not much. I’ve heard the kid has not the best work ethic and attitude. He’s not the smartest guy on the ice, but could play in a complementary role in the NHL as a 2nd liner at his best in my opinion. You’re getting a natural goal scorer that could also maybe play in a bottom 6 role with his toolbox, but will need to work harder than he is. He was a good pick, but not one that I think deserves too much hype!” – QMJHL Scout #3
“He has dominant tools that he over uses at junior level, but not the guy that has really needed to be a complete package in his life to dominate. He could be so much better if he was trying harder, but at the end is Hockey sense is not something really impressive and it’s something that can’t improve much. I like the comparison with James Neal.” – QMJHL Scout #3
I’m quite on the fence with this player. My feeling is that at worst he’ll be an Alex Chiasson-type of player who has the ability to be dangerous considering his shot but lacks the consistency and drive to be someone who spends a lot of time in the top-6 of an NHL club’s forward group.
What I do like about him is that he was willing to take on a different role when he was with the gold-medal winning Team Canada group at the World Juniors this past Christmas. That shows me his maturity is growing.
At best, I think the Oilers could have a James Neal-like player on their hands but as the gentlemen above stated, Lavoie is going to need to kick up his game (in all aspects) a bit. Something Bakersfield Condors head coach Jay Woodcroft has some recent experience with as he’s been working in Kirill Maksimov this past year in trying to make him a more consistent player.
At the end of the day, I don’t think that Ken Holland will rush this player. It’s not how he does things and considering the experience he had with Anthony Mantha, I think he’ll be more than happy to have his staff in Bakersfield work their magic with Lavoie over the next two seasons but that’ll also depend on the Chamby, QC native. How bad will he want it? All we can do is wait and see.
