According to Naftali Clinton of dailyfaceoff.com, the Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Ethan Bear of Regina, Saskatchewan to a two-year deal worth $4.125 million. The Capitals will be the fourth team Bear has played for following three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers (2017 to 2021), one season with the Carolina Hurricanes (2021 to 2022), and one season with the Vancouver Canucks (2022 to 2023). Bear was a fifth round draft pick of the Oilers in 2015.
Last season with the Canucks, Bear had three goals and 13 assists for 16 points. He was a +6 with 25 penalty minutes, one game-winning goal, one shorthanded point, 75 shots on goal, 82 blocked shots, 39 hits, 17 takeaways and 28 giveaways. Bear’s game-winning goal came on November 23, 2022, in a 4-3 Canucks win over the Colorado Avalanche. Bear broke a 3-3 tie with eight minutes left in the third period from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Sheldon Dries. Bear’s shorthanded point was a shorthanded assist in a 6-2 Canucks win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Rogers Arena on February 18, 2023. Bear helped set up Elias Pettersson with an empty net goal with 41 seconds left in the third period to close out the scoring.
The Capitals currently have a record of 17 wins, 10 regulation losses, and five losses in extra time for 39 points. They presently are the number eight seed in the Eastern Conference.
