The NHL is just 12 days away from the mayhem that can be the first official day of free agency. Ahead of that typically hectic July 1, the Capitals have reportedly given soon-to-be unrestricted free agent defenseman Ethan Bear permission to talk with other teams to try and find his next landing spot.
According to Rick Dhaliwal, many teams are showing interest in the 27-year-old rearguard. Bear, an AHL All-Star and the Hershey Bears’ most recent leading scorer, did not dress in an NHL game with the Capitals during the 2024-25 campaign.
Bear played the entire regular season with the Bears after the Capitals waived him during training camp in early October. He recorded 46 points (10g, 36a) in 62 games for the Atlantic Division champions, ranking eighth in the league among all defensemen.
The Saskatoon native was optimistic after his demotion to Hershey, seeing it as an opportunity to revive his career. Bear finished the 2023-24 season in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, where he received three months of support away from the rink.
“It just feels so good to play again,” Bear told RMNB in October. “I’m happy I’m down here, and I don’t have to be worried about being in and out of the lineup, not getting a groove going. With how I struggled last year, this is exactly what I needed. Just to kind of get my confidence going, feel a puck, play a lot of minutes. This is just exactly what I needed. And I’m happy to be here. It’s a fun group to be around.”
The Capitals reportedly engaged in some trade discussions about Bear at this year’s deadline, but ultimately did not move him. The club eventually recalled Bear ahead of their playoff run to serve as a depth option, but he did not receive a sweater for any of the team’s 10 postseason games.
Bear initially arrived in DC after signing a two-year, $4.125 million contract ($2.1 million AAV) with the Capitals in December 2023. He played 24 games with the Caps during the 2023-24 season, recording four points (1g, 3a).
