The names echo around the 'sphere with significant resonance: Raffi Torres, Jarret Stoll, Marty Reasoner, Curtis Glencross, Kyle Brodziak. They are the names of the long-gone second, third and fourth-line players capable of surviving real against NHL minutes and in most cases, beating those minutes. Combine the five of them with Liam Reddox and the Oilers have the best bottom six in the league, including four superior penalty killers, and three centers with faceoff percentages of 54.7%, 56.8% and 48.8%, all for the bargain basement price of $9.45M. Rather than replace them, the Oilers have done...nothing. They've signed no penalty killers, they've signed no one with superior faceoff ability. The penalty kill has withered on the vine and the bottom two lines are torn to shreds at even strength. If the Oilers are going to turn things around, they need to revamp the middle six forwards and bottom eight players and bring in some actual NHL players.
In my article yesterday, I argued in favor of the Oilers using the trade deadline to buy, rather than strictly sell. Because the Oilers aren't looking for the deadline blockbuster, they can selectively probe teams willing trade players in exchange for cap space or search for players who fill a specific need and may be available for less than full value. One such player is Peter Regin. With the Senators committed to tearing apart their roster and General Manager Bryan Murray asking for only draft picks in return, the Oilers have an excellent opportunity to bolster their middle six at a very low cost to the franchise.
Peter Regin
#13 / Center / Ottawa Senators
6-2
205
Apr 16, 1986
Cap Hit: $1,000,000
Signed Through: 2011-12
Status: Restricted Free Agent
Regin is not a top line, tough minutes player like those espoused here before, but he's player that is capable of beating up on easy minutes. He's big, but much to the chagrin of those looking for hits, he's not a brute, he uses his size to maintain possession in the offensive zone and win puck battles in the defensive zone. Though he's listed as a center, he's not a primary faceoff man and has spent his time on the wing. He turns 25 in April and still has time to grow into a tough minutes player, especially if paired with a similar center.
The key to a possible deal is Ottawa's asking price. If Murray is serious in saying everyone is available and he wants nothing other than draft picks, how high is too high for a player of this nature on a bargain contract? The Oilers should have excess draft picks after trading away Gilbert Brule, Kurtis Foster, Ryan Jones, and Jim Vandermeer, so the possibility should be there. If Murray wanted a second-round pick for Chris Kelly, would he want the same for Peter Regin? Is Regin worth the 31st pick, rather, is stability and outscoring on the bottom two lines for at least two seasons, but likely more, worth a 31st pick to Oilers' Management? In terms of value, the answer is a resounding yes.
To determine the relative worth of the aforementioned value proposition, I turned to the esteemed Gabe Desjardins of Behind The Net Hockey. I posed the question of value and he responded, "The 31st overall pick has a six-year value of $2 million above a replacement player and the salary paid is approximately $1 million above replacement. The 31st overall pick has approximately $1 million of value. Regin's spot on the depth chart and contract status combine to give him approximately $3 million in surplus value." From Gabe's previous work, we know a third-round pick has $600,000 in value, so even if Murray demands a third-round pick in addition to the 31st pick, trading for Regin is still the better value.
What we've got here is a big forward with speed who gets third-toughest minutes and crushes them. He's on a cheap contract and is an RFA after next season. Peter Regin is the anti-J.F. Jacques. If Regin were to come to Edmonton via trade, his nickname would be "Sane Boat". The Oilers would upgrade from the worst non-goon left wing in the league to one of the best bottom six wings in the game. He's the kind of player the Oilers have lacked since..well you've all read this story before. If Bryan Murray is willing to take the 31st overall pick for Regin, or the 31st overall and a third-round pick, Steve Tambellini should pull the trigger immediately.
