Edmonton Oilers announce huge roster cuts

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Finnegan Frost
October 6, 2024 (11:57)

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Breaking news in Oil Country as the team has just announced a series of players being waived, including cutting a top prospect.

As per Liam McCormick from Oilers Daily, The Oilers have placed Josh Brown, Raphael Lavoie, Olivier Rodrigue, and Drake Caggiula on waivers. They've also sent standout prospect Noah Philp to the AHL, who was not eligible for waivers.

Josh Brown was signed this offseason for three years, but his preseason performance was clearly awful and the Oilers have better options with Travis Dermott and Troy Stecher. For the Oilers to waive him this early is essentially admitting his signing was a major mistake, and it's a tough personal blow to Brown who just bought a house in Edmonton.

This comes as shocking news as Noah Philp seemed to be a lock to make the opening night roster for the Oilers. Insiders like Bob Stauffer also seemed confident that Philp has emerged as the primary 4C, but has ultimately been waived.

The good news for Oilers fans is that Noah Philp cannot be claimed through waivers, and will be making subtle adjustments in the minors to eventually get his shot at the pro level.

As per McCormick, Raphael Lavoie is one of the Oilers top offensive prospects, and they'll be very fortunate if he passes through waivers. Lavoie was drafted by the Oilers in the second round in 2019, and he's now 24 years old. He's had great success in the AHL and had a good training camp, but he's simply blocked by too many veterans on the Oilers wing. If by some miracle he passes through the waiver wire untouched, the Oilers can look at potentially making a trade.

As for Olivier Rodrigue, this one comes as no real shocker. This was the year that Olivier Rodrigue should have cemented himself as the true backup behind Stuart Skinner, but has arguably had the worst performance out of all the farm system prospects.

Josh Brown as also been waived, which is no surprise either. The Oilers brought him in with the idea of replacing Vincent Desharnais, but Brown has turned out to be a bust so far. The Oilers aren't interested in carrying 8 defenders, and it's looking like Travis Dermott has earned himself a legitimate shot.

Drake Caggiula is also considered an NHL calibre talent, but failed to make a lasting impression on the Oilers coaching staff. There's a probable chance Caggiula could be picked up via waiver wire.