Edmonton Oilers Claim Talented 24-Year Old Defenseman On Waivers
The Edmonton Oilers have needed a change on their blue line for quite some time, and now they've officially claimed a talented 24-year old in Alec Regula.
Yesterday, the Boston Bruins made a surprise move, as they waived 24-year old defenseman Alec Regula in the hopes that he would simply pass through waivers.
Unfortunately, given his size and his ability, there was always going to be interest in him, and now the blue-line needy Edmonton Oilers have swooped in and claimed him.
This was a great move for Edmonton, who have question marks in the bottom two pairings on their blue line, and while Regula isn't a lock to immediately make an impact, it was a risk worth taking.
Regula has been sidelined for the entire season thus far, but after posting 26 points in 55 AHL games a year ago, the confidence has always been there that he will be able to make the leap to the NHL in a full-time role.
Standing at 6-foot-4, Regula has a massive frame and knows how to use it well on the back end, and after playing in 22 NHL games for Chicago in the last four seasons, he may finally be ready to make that jump.
The Oilers are currently relying on Troy Stecher and Ty Emberson to play significant minutes, so while Regula won't simply slot in and take one of their spots, there's no doubting that he will compete for a place when he gets back to 100%.
With Edmonton looking to make a Stanley Cup run, there's plenty of pressure on this blue line to improve significantly, and if the addition of Regula on waivers is a way to get this done, it will be a home run move from Stan Bowman and the front office.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 11 | 112 ANSWERS Edmonton Oilers Claim Talented 24-Year Old Defenseman On Waivers Will Alec Regula play consistent NHL minutes for the Edmonton Oilers at some point this season? | ||
| Yes | 53 | 47.3 % |
| No | 59 | 52.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
