The Edmonton Oilers are shaking things up by putting four players on waivers to finalize their roster for the 2024-25 season. Drake Caggiula, Raphael Lavoie, Josh Brown, and Olivier Rodrigue are the ones affected by this decision.
Caggiula and Brown were not expected to play big roles for the team this year. Instead, they will likely join the AHL Bakersfield Condors if they clear waivers. This move helps Edmonton manage their salary cap better since Brown’s contract can be fully removed from the books.
Lavoie’s situation is a bit more surprising. He was picked 38th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and has been impressive with 53 goals and 95 points in his last 127 games with Bakersfield . Fans might wonder if letting him go is a risky choice because he seemed ready for an NHL spot.
Roster Moves: Strategic Decisions
Rodrigue has shown improvement since his early struggles with the Condors in 2020-21. Last season, he posted a solid record of 19-12-5 with a .916 save percentage and a 2.73 goals-against average. However, due to financial constraints, Edmonton can’t keep three goalies on their main roster right now.
Fans might think these changes could make or break the team’s start this season.
Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard will be handling goalie duties as Rodrigue heads back to Bakersfield for now.
Do you think these moves will help or hurt the Oilers?
