Oilers second round pick earned rave reviews heading into the draft
Robert Tychkowski
VANCOUVER — The reviews on Raphael Lavoie are so glowing they sound like they were written by family members.
"When he's on, Lavoie is a threat," writes HockeyProspect.com "He has a big-time shot and can score from almost anywhere in the offensive zone."
"He has great strength and can protect his puck at all costs using his body and positioning when entering the zone," said draft site Future Considerations, which had him ranked 25th overall.
Junior coach Eric Veilleux called him "One of the best players I had a chance to coach. Best prospect for sure."
SportsNet's Junior Hockey expert Sam Cosentino had him 20th overall and NHL Central Scouting had him 20th among North Americans.
So it's not hard to see why the Edmonton Oilers were beaming after getting him 38th overall in the second round of the NHL Draft Saturday in Vancouver.
"Don't we always say we never expected him to be available. But we had him higher, obviously," said Oilers director of player personnel Bob Green, who really means it this time.
"We talked Friday night about him after we got back to the hotel. We were really happy to get him. He had a great playoff and a good Memorial Cup.
"I saw him during the course of the year and I liked his game. He's a big, strong kid who can score. He makes plays with the puck and he's strong down low. He compliments players."
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound winger had 32 goals and 41 assists in 62 games with the Halifax Mooseheads last season, then added 32 points in (20-12-32) in 23 playoff games leading up to the Memorial Cup.
He big and he can finish, qualities teams are always looking for, no matter what the era.
"I didn't have any expectations going into the draft and I'm just happy I'm drafted," said Lavoie, who describes himself as a power forward. "I bring a lot of pucks to the net. I use my body pretty well. I'm an offensive guy."
Like all players who get drafted by Edmonton, one of the first things they think about when their name is called is maybe skating on a line with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl one day.
"It's a pretty good idea, in my mind," he laughed. "I'm excited for it. I'm just happy to be in such a great organization with such good players. It's a pretty good feeling. I'm happy it's over with."
Lavoie was always on the radar, but his stock took a big jump in the playoffs, where a long playoff run and a berth in the Memorial Cup really made a difference in his development.
"It taught me how to deal with pressure," he said. "There was a lot of pressure around it, especially with hosting the Memorial Cup. Getting to the final of the (QMJHL) series and then the final of the Memorial Cup, there was a lot of pressure and a lot of hype around it. I wanted to be able to deal with it and still be able to perform under pressure."
That's exactly what he did, turning up the volume to 32 points in 23 post-season games.
"We had a rough start to the playoffs, we were the first seed (in the East) against the eighth and were down 0-2. We had a meeting and we were told to step up our game, that we should wake up, and that's what we did."
BROBERG'S THE 'TOTAL PACKAGE'
While a lot of Oilers fans were hoping to take a forward in the first round, Green says they will learn to like what eighth overall Philip Broberg brings to the table one day.
"He's the total package for us," he said of the Swedish defenceman. "He can get the puck out by moving it or skating it, he can beat the forecheck with his feet, We were happy to get him."
They still haven't decided whether he'll come to Canada and play in OHL Hamilton next season or remain in Sweden. It's a discussion that will be had in the coming days.
"I think both ways are good as long as he can play," said Green. "He needs lots of ice time. If he's going to get that over there, then it's fine. It's important for any player his age to play in those (special teams and premium minutes) situations. As he moves up and turns pro it's going to be harder for him to play in those situations, so any chance he gets to do it as a younger player when he's developing is important."
The Oilers will likely leave it up to Broberg, who appears fine with either option.
"It's probably a decision he's going to have to make in the end," said Green. "He's open to anything. He just wants to get better."
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