Free agent defenceman Ethan Bear is closing in on picking his next NHL team after undergoing shoulder surgery this past off-season.
"It looks as if Ethan Bear is getting close to resuming his NHL career or at least picking a team that he's going to do it with," said Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman during the Saturday Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada.
"There's a number of other clubs that suspect that the Washington Capitals have really made a strong bid here — nothing official at this time but it is believed that the Capitals have made a legitimate run at him."
Bear spent the 2022-23 season with the Vancouver Canucks, recording 16 points (three goals and 13 assists) over 61 games.
He suffered the shoulder injury over the summer while playing for Team Canada at the 2023 world hockey championship.
Although it was suspected the Canucks would be potentially be interested in bringing Bear back, Friedman says that Vancouver no longer has the advantage.
"I did think that when this process began that Vancouver had the advantage, but there are just other teams out there that can do what Vancouver can't, cap and salary wise."
The Canucks have been looking to improve their blue line, recently acquiring Nikita Zadorov (and his $3.75-million salary) from the Calgary Flames.
Bear, 26, was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the fifth round (124th overall) at the 2015 NHL Draft. He spent parts of three seasons with the team before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021.
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