The Alec Regula experiment has hit a stumbling block recently with the Edmonton Oilers, so much so that Kris Knoblauch opted to play Riley Stillman, a career AHLer, in his spot against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night.

Regula was a mystery coming into the season. He was claimed off waivers last December but never played a game due to a knee injury. Edmonton gave him a new two-year contract in May with an average annual value of $775k. Taking the chance on a right shot, 6’4″, mid-20-year-old defenceman is well worth the risk, especially for a team in Edmonton that is actively trying to get younger.

The Jake Walman injury has given Regula extra minutes alongside Darnell Nurse on the Oilers’ second pair. With Walman in the lineup, Regula averaged 12:05 in time on ice in nine games, but that shot up drastically from November 21st onwards. He has now averaged 17:18 in the 14 games since, and with that, mistakes have started to trickle more frequently into his game.

Regula played 13:06 against Calgary on December 27th. That was his lowest time-on-ice since Tampa Bay on November 20th, which was the last time Walman was in the lineup.

I took a look at Regula’s game, shift by shift, and broke down where things went right and wrong for him. To preferce, I am no tactician, so don’t expect to hear much about fancy terminology. Instead, it’s a vision of what the average viewer would see when watching Regula and the Oilers play.

Also, I graded each shift with a positive, neutral or negative, which is tallied later on, along with where his shifts started and who he played with.

Zone Start: OZ on the fly.

Linemates: Nurse and the Oilers’ third line.

Result: Positive.

Zone Start: OZ on the fly.

Linemates: Darnell Nurse and Oilers fourth line, then third line.

Morgan Frost attacked him with speed, but he stayed with him, preventing the shot. It felt unorthodox, but the job was done. He also made a good stick on puck defensive play, neutralising the Calgary attack.

Result: Positive.

Zone Start: Defensive zone start on the fly.

Linemates: Ty Emberson and the Oilers second line.

1-0 Calgary – The puck got by him twice on the boards, then Emberson wasn’t able to handle it. He made an effort to get in front to block the shot, but wasn’t quick enough. He struggled on the boards throughout this game. He needs to be more alert and get to pucks first, especially on the first attempt. On the second try, you’ve got to bring that puck down and clear it.

Result: Negative.

Zone Start: Neutral Zone.

Linemates: Nurse and the Oilers’ second line.

Result: Neutral.

Zone Start: Neutral Zone.

Linemates: Nurse and the Oilers’ fourth line.

Result: Negative.

Zone Start: Offensive zone start on the fly.

Linemate: Evan Bouchard and the Oilers’ top line.

Result: Neutral.

Zone Start: Offensive zone start on the fly.

Linemates: Darnell Nurse and the Oilers’ third line.

Result: Positive.

Zone Start: Neutral zone on the fly.

Linemates: Darnell Nurse and the Oilers’ second line.

Result: Negative.

Zone Start: Defensive Zone.

Result: Neutral.

Zone Start: Offensive zone start on the fly.

Linemates: Darnell Nurse and the Oilers’ second line.

Result: Positive.

Zone Start: Offensive zone start on the fly.

Linemates: Darnell Nurse and the Oilers’ third line.

Calgary Goal. The shift started well for Regula, preventing Jonathan Huberdeau from exiting the defensive zone. He followed that up by getting to a puck quickly and breaking out efficiently. However, once it came back into the defensive zone, he fumbled under the pressure and passed the puck directly to Lomberg, who made it 2-1 Flames.

Result: Negative.

Result: Neutral.

Result: Neutral.

Limited puck touches. He did get checked heavily by Ryan Lomberg, but he did win the race to the puck, so no harm done.

Result: Neutral.

Regula had a quick shot off the faceoff win from Adam Henrique, but the first man blocked it. Later, he lost a footrace to the puck he should’ve likely won, and then wasn’t able to tie up his man on the boards. Nothing resulted from the Flames’ possession.

Result: Negative.

Linemates: Darnell Nurse and the Oilers third line

Result: Positive.

Zone Start: Defensive zone start on the fly

Linemates: Darnell Nurse and the Oilers fourth line

There was limited action continuing a good start to the period.

Result: Neutral.

Easily Regula’s best shift of the game. He grabbed the puck, walking it down the wall, and then drove the net for a great chance. He forced Dustin Wolf to make a good save for him. He followed that up with a good stretch pass to Mattias Janmark, which he is good at.

Result: Positive.

Result: Negative.

Positive Shifts: 6

Neutral Shifts: 7

Negative Shifts: 6

After watching the film from the Calgary game, I learned a lot about Regula. About who he is and what he can become.

Today, he is a player who struggles with consistency, which is normal for a player who has played fewer than 50 games in the NHL. The footspeed and stick coordination under pressure need to improve. Additionally, he needs greater awareness of the boards. That’ll help prevent fewer chances against.

He showcased his offensive abilities in this game, too, but he needs to trust himself. No more pointless shots from the point that are getting blocked by the first defender. They’re useless. Instead, Regula needs to use his feet and lift his head. He showed that he can beat a player one-on-one, creating more ice and opportunity for himself.

The Oilers have a player in Regula. They see that, too. The healthy scratching against the Jets was appropriate, and so was dialling back his minutes in Calgary. It’s clear he performs best when he plays around 12 to 14 minutes, not when he’s approaching 20.

Having Walman back will be greatly appreciated, and giving Regula a long leash during this stretch will also prove beneficial.