Why the Oilers claimed RHD Alec Regula off waivers

On the surface, the Edmonton Oilers claiming right-handed defenceman Alec Regula from the Boston Bruins seems surprising.

The Oilers have won six of their last seven games, theyre already carrying an extra blueliner and according to a team source, there are no injuries to any players on the back end.

Also, Regula hasnt played this season because of a knee injury and has just 22 NHL contests on his resume.

But peel back the layers of the onion and there are reasons the team is interested.

The #Oilers have claimed defenceman Alec Regula off waivers from Boston.

The right-shot blueliner, selected 67th overall by Detroit in 2018, has appeared in 22 career @NHL games with one goal.

pic.twitter.com/zX9uaDcIci Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 11, 2024 General manager Stan Bowman knows Regula, 24, well.

When GM in Chicago, Bowman traded future Oiler Brendan Perlini to acquire him from Detroit in October 2019.

Regula got his NHL time with Chicago between 2021 and 2022 and was then dealt to the Boston Bruins so they could dump veteran wingers Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno in June 2023.

Advertisement Theres also Regulas familiarity with top-pairing defenceman Evan Bouchard .

Regula and Bouchard were partners while playing for the Ontario Hockey Leagues London Knights in 2018-19.

It was Regula who mostly played the left side, so theres some versatility there even if its unlikely he plays much with Bouchard.

So, what else do the Oilers see in Regula? According to the team source, Regulas patience and poise with the puck and ability to pass it are the attributes that intrigue them.

The fact that he shoots right is a bonus.

The Oilers have gotten some excellent play from righty rearguards Troy Stecher and Ty Emberson , especially more recently, but that area remains the weakest spot of the defence corps.

Regula, whos listed at 6-foot-4 and 211 pounds, is now added to the mix.

The expectation is Regula will be brought along slowly because he needs to get up to NHL speed after returning from injury.

How Regula shows without the puck and if he can emerge on the penalty kill skills he improved last season with AHL Providence will affect the kind of role he ends up having with the Oilers.

Bringing in Regula and his two-way contract with an NHL league minimum cap hit of $775,000 means the Oilers are now carrying eight defencemen.

It also means theyre back in LTIR and are no longer accruing cap space.

This could open the door for a subsequent roster move in the near future because Oilers management has been consistent in its desire to accrue cap space ahead of the trade deadline in March.

Its worth noting that No.

7 defenceman Travis Dermott has appeared in just 10 games this season and hasnt played since Nov.

19 at Ottawa a span of seven contests.

(Photo: Richard T.

Gagnon / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.