Capitals Officially Sign Ethan Bear; Breakdown Of Backloaded Contract & Where He'll Slot In With Debut Likely vs. Islanders

Here's everything to know about Ethan Bear's new two-year contract with the Capitals.

Ethan Bear is officially a member of the Washington Capitals, as he put pen to paper on Thursday to ink a two-year, $4.125 million contract with the team.

Bear's contract carries an average annual value of $2.0625 million, but it's a backloaded deal, per PuckPedia. In the first year, he'll make $1.375 million, and in year two, he'll make $2.75 million. There aren't any bonuses that come with the deal.

The 26-year-old could make his season debut as soon as Friday against the New York Islanders and told reporters after Thursday's practice that he feels 100 percent healthy. He has spent the last few months recovering from offseason shoulder surgery after suffering an injury while representing Team Canada at Worlds in May, and he also called that time off a "blessing in disguise" as he got to reflect on his game and add more strength in other parts of his body.

Last season, Bear played in 61 games for the Vancouver Canucks, picking up three goals and 13 assists while finishing with a plus/minus of plus-5 and ranking high in several advanced analytics categories.

Bear is expected to provide some stability and depth on the right side, where the team needed some more NHL options, with only John Carlson, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Nick Jensen rounding out that top three. Of course, there's also Alex Alexeyev, but he's a left-hand shot.

When it comes to his role, Bear has shown that he is capable of playing top-4 minutes while logging time on special teams. Head coach Spencer Carbery even hinted at him getting some power-play time as the team looks to spark some more offense from the blue line.

That's where he figures to start, as Bear skated with Rasmus Sandin on the second pairing at Thursday's practice. He took van Riemsdyk's spot on that pair as TVR skated as an extra with Alex Alexeyev, indicating he will be a healthy scratch to start.

This could change, though, as Washington is continuing to experiment with combinations. As head coach Spencer Carbery figures things out, Jensen may also end up slotting out while Joel Edmundson may also experience a scratch with van Riemsdyk able to play on the left side. 

In the end, Bear's two-year deal is a solid signing for D.C. The team is not overpaying for his services, and he is a young, mobile skater who operates as a defense-first blueliner but also loves to join the rush. He has a lot of upside, and as the Capitals establish a new, young core, giving him a look could be worthwhile.