Alec Regula heads to the AHL for game action, seeking a reset. Can he regain form and solidify his NHL future with the playoff-bound Oilers?
On Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers loaned defenseman Alec Regula to the AHL's Bakersfield Condors on a conditioning stint, per the team's official announcement. The move allows the 25-year-old right-shot blueliner to get game action over the next up-to-two weeks, as he's been a frequent healthy scratch and hasn't played since January 20. He played 2:35 in that game.
Regula, drafted 67th overall by Detroit in 2018, has had a rollercoaster path: traded to Chicago, then to Boston, he was claimed off waivers by Edmonton in Dec 2023, and the team showed a ton of patience with him as he battled injuries that kept him from developing. Now in his first real extended NHL look this season, his results have been mixed.
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Over the course of the 2025-26 season (29 GP), he has 0 G, 3 A, 3 points, a -16 rating, his Avg TOI is 14:28 (including ~0:49 PK), with 18 SOG, 44 blocked shots, 35 PIM.
He's more than doubled his career NHL games this year (prior total ~22), but the production and plus/minus have been well under what the Oilers were hoping he would provide as a project they firmly believed in. With the Oilers squad pushing for playoffs amid injuries, on-ice struggles, and now a coaching addition in Paul Coffey, it's not surprising that Regula is going down to get some extra game action.
Regula Needs to Get Back Up To Speed
The conditioning loan is a smart reset: he'll get reps, build confidence, and potentially earn a recall if injuries hit or form improves.
He's under a two-year deal ($775K cap hit, expires 2026-27 RFA), so as a low-risk depth piece with upside, there's no harm in sending him back while the Oilers work on their systems and wait for Connor McDavid to rejoin the group after the Olympics.
It's a temporary move (a maximum of two weeks).
He's little more than a depth piece this season, but that doesn't mean he can't be useful. Reps and game action is the best way to make sure that happens.
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