The Edmonton Oilers are looking to make it back to the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight season. If they want to do that, the defense needs to be better. The Oilers have brought Paul Coffey back to help coach the defense, which is currently 25th in the NHL in goals against per game.
Now, the team has made another move, this time with one of their players, according to an announcement from the team on X, formerly Twitter.
Alec Regula has been loaned to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL on a conditioning stint. The Condors are the AHL affiliate of the Oilers, and the blue liner will be allowed to spend up to two weeks with the AHL club to play in games and get some ice time.
Regula was a third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2018 NHL Draft. He would not make it to the NHL level with the Wings, as he was traded at the start of the 2019-20 campaign when he was still playing in the OHL. The defenseman broke into the NHL for the first time with the Chicago Blackhawks, playing three games with them in 2020-21. Since then, he has also spent time with the Boston Bruins before being claimed off waivers by the Oilers last season.
Overall, he has played 51 total games at the NHL level, with 29 of them coming this season. He has spent the entire season at the NHL level, but has often been a healthy scratch, last playing for the Oilers on Jan. 20.
This stint will allow Regula to get time on the ice, which he was not getting in Edmonton, while also hopefully building confidence. Then, he could potentially join the lineup for the Oilers, possibly with more ice time.
The Oilers are 28-22-8 on the season, which places them second in the Pacific Division. While Regula will be playing for the Condors, Edmonton returns to the ice on Feb. 25 on the road against the Anaheim Ducks.
