Bear signed a two-year contract on Thursday.
The Washington Capitals will have a new look on the blue line on Saturday, as Ethan Bear is set to make his season debut on Saturday against the Nashville Predators.
It will mark Bear's first game since suffering a shoulder injury at Worlds in May. In 61 games with the Vancouver Canucks last season, Bear had three goals, 13 assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-6. He also led Vancouver in several advanced analytics categories.
Bear had surgery to address that injury in June and had been rehabilitating in Kelowna while experiencing free agency for the first time. Ultimately, he chose to come to Washington in order to be "wanted instead of needed," and officially signed his two-year, $4.125 million contract on Thursday.
The 26-year-old also called his shoulder injury a "blessing in disguise," as it allowed him to reflect on his career while also addressing strength in other areas and getting to choose his next landing spot.
Getting Bear in the mix is crucial for Washington, who saw Martin Fehervary and Charlie Lindgren go down with upper-body injuries in the opening minutes of Friday's 5-1 loss to the New York Islanders. Bear will play on the second pairing with Rasmus Sandin, while Trevor van Riemsdyk will move to the left side.
Bear is a mobile two-way defenseman who prides himself on logging heavy minutes, killing penalties and being defensively sound, though he doesn't shy away from joining the rush and has proven to be a mobile skater who can generate scoring changes. Head coach Spencer Carbery also hinted at him getting power-play time.
Meanwhile, Max Pacioretty will remain out of the lineup but is close to making his return after nearly a year away from the game. Pacioretty suffered a re-torn Achilles back on Jan. 19, 2023, just five games into his return from the initial tear.
Puck drop between the Capitals and Predators is at 7 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena.