December 20, 2023 | 10:42am ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
BEAR JOINS CAPITALS, CONTRACT TO FOLLOW
Ethan Bear, defenceman
Defenceman Ethan Bear has joined the Washington Capitals and participated in the club’s morning skate on Wednesday, upon which the team announced their intention to sign him to a formal contract “at a later date.”
Bear, 26, has been recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and attracted interest from multiple clubs, including the Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
A contract with the Capitals is believed to be two-years, though it is not yet clear what type of dollars are attached to the deal.
The Capitals have salary cap flexibility with veteran Nicklas Backstrom on LTIR and have been looking to bolster their blueline – the addition of Bear now fills that need.
#Caps are expected to officially sign defenseman Ethan Bear at a later date. Bear will join the team for today’s morning skate as he continues his rehabilitation process.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 20, 2023
In 251 career NHL regular-season games over his career, to date, with the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes and Canucks, Bear has accumulated 16 goals and 47 assists for 63 points, with 102 penalty minutes.