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Alec Regula, Edmonton Oilers (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)

Oilers Face Tough Decision With Defenceman Alec Regula

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Brian Swane | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 10:45 AM ET

The Edmonton Oilers have themselves a problem in Alec Regula. It’s a nice problem to have, but a problem nonetheless.

Regula, 25, has made quite an impression in four games with the Oilers this preseason. The 6-foot-4 defenceman has size and reach, and can move the puck. He also plays the right side and has a very affordable contract, at an average annual value of $775,000. In short, he’s appeared to be a great fit.

Suddenly, Regula is looking like someone the Oilers might want to have around. The thing is, they really didn’t plan for that. He was certainly not penciled in as one of the defencemen on Edmonton’s season-opening roster.

The Oilers will have to decide next week whether to keep Regula in Edmonton or assign him to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL). In the latter case, Regula would have to clear waivers. And with the way he’s played this preseason, chances are he’s not making it to Bakersfield without one of the NHL’s 31 other teams scooping him up first.

Therein lies the dilemma the Oilers face. Although if you’re familiar with Regula’s story, this latest chapter, both unexpected and intriguing, is par for the course.

Regula’s Journey to Edmonton

In 2018, while he was a member of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, Regula was drafted 67^th overall by the Detroit Red Wings. A year later, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, who were then under the stewardship of current Oilers general manager Stan Bowman.

Over three seasons from 2020-21 to 2022-23, Regula appeared in 22 regular season games with the Blackhawks, while spending most of his time in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs.

In June 2023, the Boston Bruins acquired Regula in a trade with Chicago. He was sent to the Providence Bruins of the AHL, where he played 55 games in 2023-24 before suffering an injury that led to knee surgery.

After spending the first two months of last season on injured reserve, Regula was waived by Boston for the purpose of assignment to the AHL. Injured players normally are not permitted to go on waivers, but Regula signed off on the transaction with the intention of finishing his rehab in Providence. And that’s when the Oilers swooped in.

At the time that Edmonton claimed Regula, it was thought he was nearing a return to action. But that never happened, and the defenceman remained on injured reserve for the rest of 2024-25.

Regula’s Surprise Preseason

When Regula made his preseason debut with the Oilers against the Calgary Flames at Rogers Centre on Sept. 21, it had been a year and a half since his last game of pro hockey, and nearly three years since his last NHL regular season contest.

Given that, no one really knew what to expect, but it’s probably safe to say that the Oilers didn’t anticipate Regula looking this good, and especially not this soon. The thinking was that the Oilers could send Regula to the AHL, feeling quite confident he would clear waivers.

Instead, with his terrific preseason play, Regula has likely put himself on the radar of a number of teams. His NHL stock, in fact, might be as high as it’s ever been. If Regula goes on waivers, there’s a very good chance he’s not making it to Bakersfield. There has already been speculation that the Bruins would quite happily snatch their former prospect back from the Oilers.

Oilers’ Options for Regula

The Oilers have invested several months into Regula’s rehab, and believed in the Michigan native enough to sign him last spring to a two-year, two-way contract extension. They don’t want to lose him, especially for nothing.

If the Oilers keep Regula in Edmonton, they need to make room for him on the roster. That means jettisoning one of their regulars on the right side of the blue line, Ty Emberson or Troy Stecher.

Just like Regula, Emberson and Stecher must clear waivers before being assigned to Bakersfield. And like Regula, there’s a very good chance that either could be claimed, although Stecher might be more likely to sneak through. At age 31, Stecher has already reached his potential, and on most teams, he’s no better than the 6^th or 7^th defenceman.

The Oilers could also look to trade Emberson or Stecher. Emberson would surely draw some interest on the market. He’s still just 25 and has made clear strides in his game over the last year. Before suiting up 76 times with the Oilers in 2024-25, Emberson had only played 30 career NHL games.

There will be several fascinating roster decisions made by Bowman over the next several weeks. The fate of Regula is at or near the top of that list.

In the meantime, there are only two more preseason games for the Oilers to evaluate their players: Wednesday (Oct. 1) against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena, and Friday (Oct. 3) against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.