The Edmonton Oilers are staring at a roster dilemma that could cost them a player they’ve invested heavily in.
Defenseman Alec Regula, who was claimed on waivers from the Boston Bruins last December, has impressed throughout training camp. The problem? If Edmonton wants to send him to Bakersfield for regular minutes, he’ll need to clear waivers—and there’s little chance he goes unclaimed.
Boston, the team that lost him less than a year ago, might be first in line to take him back. That leaves the Oilers in a bind: after spending the past year rehabbing Regula from a serious knee injury, losing him for nothing would be a bitter pill to swallow.
There's only one problem. While he's been solid in preseason, the Oilers are deep on their blue line and Regula might not be ready for regular NHL minutes.
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When all is said and done, the 6-foot-4 blueliner might be more than a depth option for the Oilers. Scouting reports praise his poise with the puck, his ability to move it under pressure, and his transition game among the reasons GM Stan Bowman likes the player so much. Regula himself says his game is about getting the puck into the hands of the Oilers’ elite forwards and letting them create.
That was on display as the Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks in preseason action on Sunday night.
Edmonton’s challenge is that the right side of their defense is already crowded. Veterans Troy Stecher and Ty Emberson currently sit ahead of Regula on the depth chart, and both also require waivers to be sent down. As Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 noted recently, if it came down to losing Stecher or Regula, the Oilers might lean toward exposing the veteran.
Do the Oilers Risk Losing Regula?
It does happen that a team overvalues a player because they're close to him. Perhaps Regula is in that category where the Oilers know what they have, but other teams won't see it and he'll pass through waivers. That choice won’t be easy.
The issue here is that at least one other team does know what Regula is, and that's Boston. There is a better than good chance the Bruins will claim him back.
Regula represents upside and time spend on getting the player ready. They've been patient with the defenseman and it's looking like their patience is starting to pay off. Bowman has shown belief in him dating back to his time in Chicago (where Regula was prior to being traded to the Bruins as part of the Taylor Hall deal), and it seems strange to assume he would take the chance and lose him for nothing.
The Oilers currently have Jake Walman out with a minor injury. That means, at the very least, Regula will stick with the Oilers until Walman is ready, and possibly as late as opening night. Beyond that, it becomes a matter of who the Oilers would rather risk losing -- Regula, Stecher, or Emberson.
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