“Alec Regula looks pretty good” — Stan Bowman takes another swing on a 6-foot-4 puck-moving defenseman

Stan Bowman's reputation for crafting strong defensive units is pretty solid. Throughout his 15 years with the Chicago Blackhawks, he consistently sought out puck-moving defensemen, often opting for finesse instead of just muscle.From Duncan Keith, who was already in the mix when Bowman came on board in 2005, to later signings like Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brian Campbell, Nick Leddy, and Johnny Oduya, the Blackhawks depended a lot on defenders who could quickly transition the puck to superstars like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Artemi Panarin.In the September episode of Oilers Now, Bob Stauffer brought up Alec Regula, who came to Edmonton after being picked up on waivers. Stauffer pointed out Regula's improvement during camp after missing the whole 2023–24 season due to a knee injury.“Alec Regula looks pretty good… Stan claimed him on waivers, and he didn’t play a single game last year (due to a knee injury),” Stauffer said during the broadcast. “Stan has history with him, 6-foot-4 right-shot defensemen that can move the puck.”Stauffer pointed out that since Regula had a year off, the Oilers could look into moving him to the minors, although they need to watch out for the possibility of losing him to another team through waivers.Brian Lawton, who used to be an NHL general manager and player agent, joined the chat on Oilers Now, offering his take on Bowman's wider strategy for roster construction.“I am definitely more bullish on their defense than I have been the last few years, and I think that’s a really good thing…,” Lawton added.He said further, “Do I think it’s good enough to win a championship? I do. Do I think, knowing Stan Bowman, that he’ll be looking to improve it still? I do. Will he be able to do that? Unknown at this time, but if he expends assets between now and the trade deadline, it’ll be to try, in my opinion, to try to improve that d-corps even more. That’s your surest bet to winning, in my opinion.”According to Lawton, Bowman's tendency to prioritize puck-movers is linked to his expected approach for the trade deadline. He highlighted that despite bringing in players like Regula, Bowman could still be in the process of reworking the blue line.Edmonton prospect guru Bruce Curlock shared his thoughts when Regula was initially picked up by the Oilers, giving his take on the defenseman's possible role.“Regula to me is a tweener type of player. He could play in a 6/7 role if the skating develops, but he could also be a very good first-pairing defenceman in the AHL,” Curlock said. He compared Regula to another Oilers defender, adding: “His game has some similarities to Cody Ceci: a big body, right-shot defenceman with skating issues who can lack a physical edge to his game. However, Regula is a better passer than Ceci and he has some good offensive instincts much like Ceci did on occasion.”Regula has had quite the professional journey, spending time in the Chicago Blackhawks system from 2020 to 2023, along with three short NHL call-ups. He was having a solid 2023–24 season in the Boston system until a knee injury put a stop to his progress.Now, the 2024–25 season is all about his comeback. As Bob Stauffer mentioned on Oilers Now, Edmonton has to figure out if they want to keep Regula in the NHL lineup which might mean moving a veteran like Troy Stecher or Ty Emberson or send him to Bakersfield, where he could get some top-pairing minutes.Also Read: Dustin Wolf signed a seven-year $52.5 million contract with the Calgary Flames to become their franchise goalieWhether he lands here or there, Regula keeps fitting the mold that Bowman has cherished for a long time: he's tall, shoots right, and above all, he's a defenseman who can really move the puck.