Ethan Bear Presser Though Ethan Bear has officially not put pen to paper, his new deal with the Washington Capitals appears to be finalized. Per PuckPedia, Bear's new deal is set to be finalized within the next 48 hours and will be a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.0625 million. His last deal paid $2.2 million. He was not qualified and became an unrestricted free agent this past season. Bear is currently working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery after suffering an injury representing Team Canada at Worlds in May. The 26-year-old had three goals and 13 assists in 61 games with the Vancouver Canucks last season while standing out in numerous advanced analytics categories. For Washington, this new deal is a solid one. It doesn't overpay, and Bear is expected to bring a lot of stability on the right side. His M.O. is shutdown defense, and he likes to log heavy minutes, block shots and kill penalties. He also takes good care of the puck. On the other side, he's a mobile defenseman and good skater who doesn't mind jumping up on the rush and can even log power play time. Overall, Bear is a solid two-way defenseman with upside, and he packs a lot of promise. Washington is establishing a younger defensive core, led by Rasmus Sandin and Martin Fehervary, and Bear is just another piece of the puzzle. And, if things don't work out, the deal expires in two seasons. The 5-foot-11, 197-pound blueliner is currently with the Capitals and is skating in a regular jersey as he continues to work his way back. It's unclear when he will make his season debut, but it could be in the next couple of games.
