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New Oilers defenceman excels in major preseason trial, likely to make NHL cut
Photo credit: USA Today Sports
Oilers' defenseman Alec Regula was paired with Darnell Nurse in the preseason game against the Seattle Kraken, a strong indication
that he will likely make the opening-day roster on October 8.
Depth defenseman moves into top-4 defense-pairing
Regula's performance was praised by coaches and analysts, especially given that he missed the entire 2024-2025 season due to a knee injury. He showcased strong defensive play, good skating, and accurate passing, leading some to believe he could secure a spot on the Oilers' opening-night roster.
Darnell Nurse is generally seen as a defenseman who thrives with a partner who can move the puck effectively. While their pairing is still a small sample size in the 2025 preseason, Alec Regula has shown promising chemistry with Nurse at training camp, prompting coach Knoblauch to pair the two in preseason.
Regula is known for his calm, composed play, and his ability to make smart plays under pressure, which he demonstrated on a number of occasions against the Kraken, where he played 19:23 of TOI, including 3:06 while shorthanded. Regula also registered two shots on goal and two blocked shots.
Kris Knoblauch trying Regula with Nurse is a sign that he believes the 25-year old defenseman is ready for the NHL
If Alec continues to play as he has this preseason, there is a good chance he becomes a regular on a blueline that already includes a strong presence in Bouchard, Ekholm, Walman and, of course, Darnell Nurse as the likely the top-4.
It is important to note that these statistics are based on a limited number of games, which makes his performance all the more impressive, given Alec missed the entire 2024-2025 season due to injury.
However, the initial results suggest that the Nurse-Regula pairing could be a viable option for the Oilers moving forward.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 3 | 496 ANSWERS New Oilers defenceman excels in major preseason trial, likely to make NHL cut Should Alec Regula play ahead of Jake Walman as a defense partner for Darnell Nurse? | ||
| yes | 141 | 28.4 % |
| no | 355 | 71.6 % |
| List of polls | ||