Edmonton Oilers select forward Raphael Lavoie 38th overall

A large and skilled player. Offensively, his release stands out which is very accurate and allows him to be a capable scorer. Furthermore, Lavoie reads the game fairly well and is good at distributing the puck.

There are diverse opinions on how quickly this huge winger goes off the draft board because he is so dominating against the smaller QMJHL players he regularly plays against. There is no denying he seduces your opinion with his long reach and sneaky deceptive release of the puck that catches goalies off guard. Was added to the World Junior Summer Showcase as an injury replacement and played well when surrounded by really good teammates. At this juncture, he projects more as a right wing, and not a centre. He will have to radically improve his acceleration, foot speed, and pace to be thought capable of patrolling centre ice in higher levels.

Lavoie helped the host Mooseheads reach the Canadian major junior championship game where Halifax lost to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. He had two highlight-reel goals in the tournament – including one in the final – and an assist along with 17 shots on goal over four games.

His physical play was prevalent throughout the tournament as he used his big frame to create a good cycle in the corner and set up scoring opportunities for his teammates.

He says he’s at his best when he has the puck and is creating offensive chances.

“I think I’m pretty good when I’m doing that.”

Lavoie was streaky during his draft year and finished the regular season with 32 goals and 41 assists in 62 games.

But when it came to the playoffs, the right-handed shot picked up his game.