His next goal came off a part of his game that has gotten the attention of his coaches: his relentless play. Watch this entire sequence. His feet never stop moving. He is always working to gain the puck when he’s on it and when he’s off it, he is working to space to be available. In addition, when he sees a set-up coming for a shot attempt, he goes net front without concern.

It’s not always pretty, but it is very effective for the most part.

This last goal I really like from the perspective of his reading and reaction skills. Watch him scan the ice in front of him when he knows the puck is headed to Hoefenmeyer. He immediately jumps down into a hole, calling for the puck. The other part I really like is the release. On the stick and off the stick in a hurry with a great finish.

Now, Wright is 25, so what you see is what you likely get with him now. However, he is a high-energy player who definitely makes his presence known to the opposition in a pesky way. He definitely has some good offensive skills. While his skating isn’t splendid, it is not a negative trait. The question now is whether Wright caught lightning in a bottle this week or if this is the start of something good in long term. This would be a positive development for a team that has a lot of prospects forward struggling with what he did this week: score.

Raphael Lavoie

Lavoie had a quieter week than previous ones with only one goal to show for his work in three games. He did add a healthy 15 shots and, as we will see, should have had a second goal this week.  His goal was an example of what he is known for in Oiler fandom.

Really, there is nothing more to be said here. For sure, this is NHL-level calibre. Whether he gets a chance to try and find his role there again is anyone’s guess.

Lavoie himself has not given up on the dream. This week, we saw a new part of his game. The penalty kill. Now it should be noted, that he played this role in junior. However, he has not performed in this role as a professional. This week, that all changed. Lavoie played healthy time on the second forward group rotation. The penalty kill went 10-13 this week, and Lavoie was on for one goal against. However, he did not look out of place. He was aggressive in attacking players. Perhaps a little too much sometimes. He had no issue getting into lanes to block shots when called for. Overall, he had a lot of shifts that looked a lot like this one including the short-handed attack.

He was about a quarter of an inch from his first professional short-handed goal. He has excellent stick skills, which were quite noticeable all week on the penalty kill. I expect to see him more on the penalty kill as the season progresses.

Shane Lachance

Another week, another couple of goals for Lachance. This week, he took advantage of his incredible size and hands on the powerplay to make his presence known.  I received a lot of questions about how imposing Lachance is on the ice. Watch this goal here.

Look at his stature relative to the penaltykillers on the Merrimack team. He towers over everyone. Also, a quick note that Lachance takes the face-off on every powerplay start. He’s really quite good at it as well.

His second goal shows the part of his game that genuinely is exciting. He has tremendous hands for a big man. Watch him post-up on the net front, take the goalies’ eyes away and then make a deft deflection for a goal.

Thigh high shot on his weak side and he has the body control to work to get a deflection. Impressive stuff from Lachance. He’s now up 5-6-11 in 16 games as a freshman at Boston University. The question we will want to answer is whether his footwork will get him to these spots as a professional. The hands and size are certainly pro-level. If the skating can get to an average level, then there truly is a professional player here.

News and Notes

In some other quick notes, Tyler Tullio played his first game of the season with the Condors after suffering some sort of wrist/hand injury. He picked up a powerplay assist and was his tenacious self again.

Xavier Bourgault has 1-1-2 in three games this week looking more engaged and with more command of the puck. He needs to string some games together.

Jake Chiasson is off to a tough start as a professional. He is 1-2-3 in 12 games in the ECHL. He started the year on the injured reserve and his game has really struggled to come together. Playing a 20 year-old season in the WHL might have been a better course for him.

That’s it for this week’s edition of the Edmonton Oilers Prospect Report. See you back here next Sunday.