Red Wings start the 3rd round with a defenseman, and one with ties to the Red Wings. Alec Regula’s father is the former dentist for the organization.
The Wings take one of my favourite “sleepers” I identified earlier. Alec Regula is a project. But is a defender who could be an impact player down the line if everything comes together. Size, skating ability and skill on the back-end. Still learning the game.
— OHL Prospects (@BrockOtten) June 23, 2018
The Vitals
Age: 17
Hometown: West Bloomfield, MI
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 205 lbs
Position: Defense
What the experts say
A towering defenseman, he’s very mobile for his size. When on his game, he’s capable of an incredible passing game, whether it’s at the attacking blue line or a perfectly placed stretch pass. He’s also able to make smart and safe decisions – dumping the puck into the corner of the opponents’ zone or rushing the puck past the blue line and then lobbing it in deep. He owns a good variety of shots, however his wrister is very average and not likely deployed for goals. His slapper is heavy enough, but his release is a tad slow. Defensively, he likes to use his long reach to effectively swat away pucks from rushing forwards trying to enter the London zone. Gap control is also benefitted by such a lengthy reach. But he needs to tighten up his play in his own zone. He can get caught flat-footed or neglect to locate a player sneaking in behind him. Occasionally, he’s troubled by inconsistent play. He can look really skilled and smart on one shift, then the next time on the ice look unsure of himself, permitting too much space for the opposition. From behind the net, he can appear hesitant with the puck, not sure of his options – skate it out, send it to a waiting teammate – even when he’s not facing a pile of pressure.
-FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
“Big rangy defender with good mobility and puck movement. Bit of a project though as his decision making isn’t always on point, especially in his own end. I really like the pick myself, I think he’s got a lot of potential if he can clean up the details of his game.”
-Dylan Galloway, FC
Analyzing the pick
Regula spent most of the season partnered with Evan Bouchard.
Everyone has been clamoring for a right-shot defenseman, well they’ve got it now. At 67th overall, this isn’t a reach for the Red Wings. Regula is a massive, mobile defender. The numbers aren’t staggering, but he’s got a big shot from the blue line.
