Silver Nuggets: Where does Regin fit?

Peter Regin is finally back at full health and playing for the Ottawa Senators, but his time on injured reserve has pushed the team to build their roster up in his absence. So where does he fit today?

In last night's season opener, Peter Regin played just 9:54 of hockey. That was less than any of his Ottawa Senators teammates, and third least among any skater in the game (he managed to play a few seconds more than Jim Slater and Chris Thorburn, two of the Winnipeg Jets' resident meatheads). He's a good young player with speed and defensive awareness, but he's barely played under head coach Paul MacLean, and the team has been forced to fill the roster without him due to his extended absences the last two seasons. So where, exactly, does Peter Regin fit on this team?

He certainly seems capable of continuing in the role he filled last night: Used sparingly as a third-liner and occasionally on the penalty kill. But it seems to me that once he gets his legs back (it's been over a year since he played an NHL game, after all), he should be able to offer much more to the Senators. His speed and puck control are very good, and he's a strong defensive presence on any line. He may continue to play third-line minutes on the Senators, but he could also be a good reinforcement for the second line if, for instance, Guillaume Latendresse isn't able to keep up with Kyle Turris and Daniel Alfredsson. (Regin-Turris-Alfredsson would be a very good checking line for the Senators, in my opinion.)

Regin's going to get his chances this season, but they'll be numbered among his last ones with the team. If he can make the most of them, though, I'm thinking he should be able to earn the trust of Paul MacLean as a player who fits his system perfectly.

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