In a cost-cutting move during the offseason, the Boston Bruins traded from number one overall draft pick Taylor Hall and veteran Nick Foligno to the Chicago Blackhawks for two young defensemen. Moving on from Hall created much-needed cap space. At the time of the trade, CapFriendly estimated the Bruins had less than $5 million in available space while having eight unrestricted and two restricted free agents. The move was necessary as the Bruins were transitioning their roster after the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Any type of return for the Blackhawks taking on upwards of $10 million in salary would be minimal. However, the Bruins have been pleasantly surprised by the performance of one of the players received.
Alec Regula, a 23-year-old blueliner, was a 2018 third-round pick by the Detroit Red Wings, who was sent to Chicago in the Brendan Perlini trade. The 6-foot-4 Regula scored five goals and 21 points in the AHL last season and had a four-game stint with the Blackhawks. After signing the restricted free agent to a one-year, $775,000 contract, the Bruins assigned Regula to Providence of the American Hockey League, and the big defenseman has stood out for the Bruins.
Just 19 games into the season, Regula has been Providence’s best defenseman with a plus-13 rating, which is second in the league. This past weekend, the West Bloomfield Township, Michigan native had one goal and three assists, and the Bruins have now won five in a row after a slow start to the season. For the season, the right-shot defenseman has two goals and five assists and has played solid defense for coach Ryan Moungenel’s team. Regula has played seven total NHL games in his career and could be an option for Boston as he is on a two-way contract.
Regula was a standout with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League and recorded 27 goals and 33 assists as a defenseman during the 2019-20 season. The OHL Writers had the following scout on Regula as a draft prospect. “Regula obviously possesses very good size. He is a very good skater with excellent acceleration. As the season progressed, he looked more comfortable in leading the rush. He is very capable of making an excellent pass to elude the forecheck, but he is also capable of skating the puck out of danger.
Regula can more than handle the tough defensive assignments. He thinks the game very well with great anticipation and plays a positionally sound game. His skating allows him to keep gaps close. He plays with a very active stick and knows how to close lanes. He’s tough to beat one-on-one and rarely gets beat to the outside.”
So far this season for Providence, Regula is proving to be a good defensive prospect and an excellent value, along with Ian Mitchell, in return for Taylor Hall.
