Vegas Golden Knights claim two forwards from waivers
The Golden Knights have claimed a forward off waivers from both the Oilers and the Flames. Cole Schwindt from Calgary and Raphael Lavoie is on his way from Edmonton to Vegas.
The Edmonton Oilers selected Lavoie in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft. Lavoie's experience is limited to just seven NHL games since being drafted. The 24-year-old center did not register a point in those games, but he did record four shots, 13 hits, and two PIM. The 6'4" right winger has proven to be a reliable AHL player with 131 points and 71 goals in 202 games.
This past offseason, Lavoie inked a one-year, two-way contract with the Oilers. At $775,000, he is inexpensive to keep on the NHL roster, but with Schwindt and Lavoie together, they are over the 23-man roster limit and $273,316 over the salary cap.
Even after moving to Vegas, Lavoie is not guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup and will have to fight for minutes against players like Victor Olofsson and Keegan Kolesar.
Schwindt was also a former 2019 draft choice, chosen by the Florida Panthers in the third round. The 23-year-old was a part of the trade that sent Jonathan Huberdeau to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Matthew Tkachuk.
During the 2021-22 season, he made his NHL debut with the Panthers, appearing in three games but failing to record a point. Despite playing in four NHL games with the Flames last season, he was still unable to score his first goal.
On September 19, he inked a one-year, two-way contract worth $800,000 with the Flames. In 218 games during his AHL career, he has scored 48 goals and 110 points. In three games during the 2024 preseason, the 6'2 winger recorded one assist.
It is unclear what the Golden Knights will do with the right-handed wingers, but both players have the potential to be important members of the Henderson Silver Knights and viable depth options in the event of an injury.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 7 | 72 ANSWERS Vegas Golden Knights claim two forwards from waivers Is this a good move for the Golden Knights? | ||
| Yes | 49 | 68.1 % |
| No | 23 | 31.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
