More developments for the Capitals as the Ethan Bear heat up.
It's known that the Washington Capitals are looking to add to their roster, and one area they've reportedly been looking to bolster is the blue line with the Ethan Bear sweepstakes heating up.
Per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, teams believe that Washington has made a "really strong bid" for the free-agent defenseman.
"Nothing is official at this time, but it is believed that the Capitals have made a legitimate run at him," Friedman said on his Saturday's Headlines segment.
Bear is currently in Kelowna recovering from offseason shoulder surgery following an injury representing Team Canada at Worlds in May.
Bringing Bear on board would help bolster the right side and add more depth to an already impressive pool.
Washington already has three full-time RHD currently up with the team, as John Carlson, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Nick Jensen round out the top-6 right side. Beyond that, the next full-time RHD is in Hershey, and that's Vincent Iorio — NHL extras Lucas Johansen and Alex Alexeyev have shown versatility, but are both left-hand shots.
Bear has shown his ability to join the rush and contribute offensively, but he's most known for his shutdown, defensive play. He is able to log heavy minutes, block shots and kill plays, and his awareness and hockey IQ only add to his skill set.
So, adding Bear would give the team another strong RHD option.
The 2015 fifth-rounder most recently played for the Vancouver Canucks and was one of their better defensemen last season with a plus-minus of plus-6 and strong advanced numbers.