Moments ago, Canucks President Jim Rutherford spoke with the media. He was asked about the team's situation surrounding the UFA defenceman, Ethan Bear.
Bear played 61 games with the Canucks last season, after the team acquired him in trade from the Carolina Hurricanes. During the season, Bear suffered a severe shoulder injury that required an extensive surgery, which has kept him from playing NHL games until now. Healthy and ready to resume his career, Bear has been looking for an NHL contract - and has recently informed the Canucks that they've been outbid in negotiations.
In his comments to the media, Jim Rutherford clearly seemed to believe that Bear was returning to the Canucks on a cheap deal, and felt betrayed by Bear choosing to sign a deal elsewhere for more money. In recent days, it's been reported by multiple sources that Bear is finalizing a deal with the Washington Capitals for just north of $2M.
Bear, now 26 years old, was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL draft. After playing three seasons with Edmonton, he was able to carve out a role as a solid top-six defence option in the NHL, and has been lauded for his positive analytics. It shouldn't be long before he closes the deal with Washington, and begins playing games once again.
