The Edmonton Oilers made a surprising waiver claim on depth defenseman Alec Regula, and one inside source believes they have high hopes for the player.
The Oilers claimed the 24 year old right shot defenseman on waivers from the Boston Bruins.
This waiver claim was surprising because the Oilers' right side of defense is fairly locked down. However, according to a recent report from Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, the Oilers believe he's too good to pass up on.
"According to the team source, Regula's 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."
Regula has yet to appear in an NHL game yet this season, and he played in only four games in the 2022-23 season, so it's very interesting to see that the Oilers appear to have NHL plans for him right away.
Insider reveals why the Oilers claimed Alec Regula on waivers
Regula is an inherent asset with his size of 6-foot-4 and a right-shot defender, but the Oilers have already got great contributions from Troy Stecher and Ty Emberson.
That means the Oilers could plan instead to deploy Regula on the left side potentially, which he has done previously in his career.
Regula does have some familiarity with a few prominent Oilers as well. He played on a defense pairing with Evan Bouchard in junior hockey, and Stan Bowman was general manager when he was in the Chicago Blackhawks system.
With just a $775K contract for this season, fitting Regula into the roster isn't difficult. Defenseman Travis Dermott has been benched when he's been in the lineup, but otherwise has been a healthy scratch for a long period of time. His tenure with the Oilers may be at an end now.
For now, Nugent-Bowman says the Oilers plan to ease Regula into the lineup slowly to get back up to speed after a knee injury: "The expectation is Regula will be brought along slowly because he needs to get up to NHL speed after returning from injury."
It'll be interesting to see if Regula can crack the Oilers roster and be a difference-maker for the team. Still a young player, the Oilers may have found an under-the radar-talent here.
