Regehr the lesser isn't technically Flames property anymore, but it's likely he's still on the organizations radar screen.
The 25 year-old bother of Robyn Regehr bolted for the DEL (German League) last summer when it was clear that the Flames weren't going to offer him a new contract.
Sutter gets a pass on this one. Despite being an AHL all-star and seeing a few games in the bigs, Richie's development had ground to a halt thanks to concussion issues. He played just 28 games (22 AHL, 6 NHL) in 06/07 and it was unclear whether he'd be able to continue his career due to lingering concussion symptoms. Thus the decision not to renew his contract in the off-season.
Which, in retrospect, was the wrong move. Regehr played 44 games for the Frankfurt Lions last year and tore the league a new corn-hole, scoring 21 goals and 41 points in just 44 games. He set a DEL record for goals scored by a defenseman by managing 5 tallies in a single game. He was also the clubs best point-getter from the blueline and 5th best scorer overall (despite missing 11 games).
Of course, the Deutsche league is hardly the NHL. According to Desjardins league equivalencies it's slightly better than the AHL (0.52). Regehr's 0.93 PPG pace in the DEL converts to a 0.49 PPG rate in the NHL by Desjardins method, which is about 40 points over 82 NHL games (assuming like circumstances). Certainly nothing to sneeze at.
Although undrafted out of Junior, Richie experienced success at every other level during his career. He was a double digit scorer in the WHL twice and a WHL all-star in 2004. Upon being signed by Calgary in 04/05 as a free agent, Regehr immediately became a top 4 option on the farm for Lowell and, later, for Omaha. He played 20 games for the big club over two seasons and was poised to work his way further up the depth chart before the headaches began.
Richie is a much different player than his brother. Whereas Robyn is big, hard-hitting and suspect offensively, Richie is relatively smaller, more mobile and a better puck-mover, but not much of a "shut-down" guy. If one could combine the two siblings skill-sets, one would have probably an elite overall defenseman, I reckon.
During his cup of coffee for the Flames, Regehr never seemed overwhelmed or especially deficient in any aspect of play (unlike, say, the unfortunate Tim Ramholt). He looked very comfortable manning the point on the powerplay and seemed fairly poised with the puck from what I remember. I thought he was an excellent option for bottom-pairing duties going forward and was disappointed when he left the organization.
When Richie was signed by Frankfurt, he agreed to a two-year deal. He's already played two games for the Berlin Polar Bears this season (I guess he got traded?), scoring two points. I don't know if he'll ever return to North American hockey or if he's really over his health issues, but Im certain he'll be a "player of interest" to Calgary at the conclusion of his DEL contract; especially if he can replicate the level of success he enjoyed last season. Keep in mind, the Flames will be looking for depth next year when Aucoin, Warrener and Eriksson are (finally) off the books.
