Jump to content

[Speculation] Canucks maintaining strong interest in free agent Ethan Bear


RWJC

Recommended Posts

Canucks maintaining strong interest in free agent Ethan Bear

 

by Jonathan Bailey

8 hours ago

 

The Vancouver Canucks just added reinforcements to the right side of their defense by trading with the Pittsburgh Penguins for Mark Friedman, but they’re not satisfied just yet.

 

Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal has maintained for a while now that the organization remains interested in free agent Ethan Bear, and that reportedly hasn’t changed even after the addition of Friedman. Bear, 26, played in 61 games for the Canucks last year, but wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer as he continues to recover and rehab for now from a summer shoulder surgery.

 

 

Link to rest of article:

 

https://thecanuckway.com/2023/10/18/canucks-strong-interest-ethan-bear/

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Let's see how Friedman plays.  He may surprise us.  He's the same size as Bear but a much better skater.  Not sure about his defensive play.  Let's see how he does on this road trip...

Friedman is much more inclined to play a gritty, truculent-type game as well, which I'm sure he'll show us as soon as he gets in the lineup.

  • Like 1
  • Cheers 1
  • ThereItIs 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said:

Let's see how Friedman plays.  He may surprise us.  He's the same size as Bear but a much better skater.  Not sure about his defensive play.  Let's see how he does on this road trip...

 

2 hours ago, CaptainCanuck12 said:

Friedman is much more inclined to play a gritty, truculent-type game as well, which I'm sure he'll show us as soon as he gets in the lineup.

 

The difference is here is that Bear has always had a job in the NHL.  Yeah, he's been bounced around, but had he not gotten major surgery, he would've been scooped up as a valuable RHD in July.  

 

Friedman has not been able to hold down a role in the big leagues.  He's been put through waivers numerous times and claimed once.  The hope here is that he'll punch above his weight not just literally but figuratively too.  But if we sign Bear later on and he's in decent shape, Friedman won't have a spot on the top six.  Maybe the 7th if he's solid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, Miss Korea said:

 

 

The difference is here is that Bear has always had a job in the NHL.  Yeah, he's been bounced around, but had he not gotten major surgery, he would've been scooped up as a valuable RHD in July.  

 

Friedman has not been able to hold down a role in the big leagues.  He's been put through waivers numerous times and claimed once.  The hope here is that he'll punch above his weight not just literally but figuratively too.  But if we sign Bear later on and he's in decent shape, Friedman won't have a spot on the top six.  Maybe the 7th if he's solid.

 

Allvin was the one who picked him up from Philly.  He played for Allvin in 2021-2022 and even played in all of the Pittsburgh playoff games that year.  Allvin then left to join the Canucks and Friedman was then bounced around on waivers.

 

Obviously, Allvin sees something in him to completely give up on Rathbone.  I don't doubt that if Bear comes back he'll probably get a starting spot on the team.  But IMO Friedman plays more of a Tocchet style game, so he may have the upper hand.  

  • Thanks 1
  • Cheers 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

Allvin was the one who picked him up from Philly.  He played for Allvin in 2021-2022 and even played in all of the Pittsburgh playoff games that year.  Allvin then left to join the Canucks and Friedman was then bounced around on waivers.

 

Obviously, Allvin sees something in him to completely give up on Rathbone.  I don't doubt that if Bear comes back he'll probably get a starting spot on the team.  But IMO Friedman plays more of a Tocchet style game, so he may have the upper hand.  

To that end, Juulsen also plays a Tocchet-style game (defending with your muscles), but he's killing our offense.

 

Allvin and the chipmunks penguins

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like Bear a lot, as a person.

As a hockey player, he's a muffin.

 

If he fits and we give him a contract, please let it be cheap and only for one year.

If he doesn't want a Prove It contract to make the Canucks, he can go cut bait.

Edited by Goal_thecup
  • Vintage 1
  • ThereItIs 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, Goal_thecup said:

I like Bear a lot, as a person.

As a hockey player, he's a muffin.

 

If he fits and we give him a contract, please let it be cheap and only for one year.

If he doesn't want a Prove It contract to make the Canucks, he can go cut bait.

If he comes back he will be playing with Soucy or Cole which should mitigate the lack of physicality. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don’t care if we sign bear or not but I find it funny people say he can play on the 3rd pairing with soucy. Which is fine, but if people are complaining about bear last year 1.8mil is overpaid.. can someone explain to me how soucy is a great signing at 3.25x3 if ppl are suggesting he should play with bear on the 3rd pairing?? Bear 1.8 overpaid 3rd pairing soucy great signing 3.25 3rd pairing.. baffling 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, DrJockitch said:

Actually we need a second or third pairing right D. We only have one serviceable one now. 
Bear is miles better than Juulsen and Myers.  
Any move that pushes Myers down and Juulsen out is worth it. 

The problem with resigning Bear, even at a reduced cost, is the term he will want. I suspect a multi year ask. I suppose he can be moved if there are no trade restrictions. I would play Bear over Meyers.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, Provost said:

We don’t need another 3rd pairing D.  We already have a bunch of guys who are 3rd pairing D having to play higher in the lineup (Myers, Soucy, Cole, Juulsen,

 

We need a guy for the top four. 
 

 

Juulsen is an 8D at best (honestly I'd have claimed either/both Bjork/Coghlan and waived him). Two of the other guys are lefties. As much as yes, long term we very much need a top 4 RHD not named Hronek, right now we just need actual top 6 NHL D to at least tread water. Even if only bottom pair.

 

1 hour ago, wai_lai416 said:

I don’t care if we sign bear or not but I find it funny people say he can play on the 3rd pairing with soucy. Which is fine, but if people are complaining about bear last year 1.8mil is overpaid.. can someone explain to me how soucy is a great signing at 3.25x3 if ppl are suggesting he should play with bear on the 3rd pairing?? Bear 1.8 overpaid 3rd pairing soucy great signing 3.25 3rd pairing.. baffling 

 

Soucy has certainly struggled early between a new team, rotating (and as noted above, not NHL top 6) partners and the injury. That said, given his past playing history, he's a solid #4-5D with size and physicality. 

 

Bear is a small #4-5 coming off a major injury.  There's simply no way he can earn as much with those caveats. Healthy, under regular rising cap, he'd probably get  $2.2-$2.5m. Injured, under flat cap... He'll be lucky to get a pro rated $1.5 IMO.

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, Provost said:

We don’t need another 3rd pairing D.  We already have a bunch of guys who are 3rd pairing D having to play higher in the lineup (Myers, Soucy, Cole, Juulsen,

 

We need a guy for the top four. 
 

 

Exactly this.  We need a #2A or #3 calibre guy that can form a legit top pairing with Quinn Hughes while allowing Hronek to anchor a 2nd pairing.  Hughes and Hronek are capable of playing with each other but they aren't an ideal stylistic fit.  

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, wai_lai416 said:

I don’t care if we sign bear or not but I find it funny people say he can play on the 3rd pairing with soucy. Which is fine, but if people are complaining about bear last year 1.8mil is overpaid.. can someone explain to me how soucy is a great signing at 3.25x3 if ppl are suggesting he should play with bear on the 3rd pairing?? Bear 1.8 overpaid 3rd pairing soucy great signing 3.25 3rd pairing.. baffling 

 

Soucy was signed as a solid LD for the 2nd or 3rd pair who's also going to be doing a lot of PKing. It's entirely hypothetical as Bear isn't healthy and not necessarily even going to be signed, but if they're paired together and Soucy is able to cover for Bear's defensive lapses for about 16 EV mins a night that'll be fine. Assuming Bear's on league min for the year, $4m dollars isn't too much cap tied up and Soucy's will be up around 20 minutes a game. He's a medium term FA signing where we had a deficiency next season will be him, Hughes, Hronek & 3 unknowns. Next season we'll have a much better idea whether he's overpaid once he's played about 80 games as opposed to 1.

 

54 minutes ago, Provost said:

We don’t need another 3rd pairing D.  We already have a bunch of guys who are 3rd pairing D having to play higher in the lineup (Myers, Soucy, Cole, Juulsen,

 

We need a guy for the top four. 
 

 

That's $13m dollars on 3rd pairing D, unless we can shift some of that we're not improving the top 4 this season.

Edited by Biff Tannen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, aGENT said:

 

Juulsen is an 8D at best (honestly I'd have claimed either/both Bjork/Coghlan and waived him). Two of the other guys are lefties. As much as yes, long term we very much need a top 4 RHD not named Hronek, right now we just need actual top 6 NHL D to at least tread water. Even if only bottom pair.

 

 

Soucy has certainly struggled early between a new team, rotating (and as noted above, not NHL top 6) partners and the injury. That said, given his past playing history, he's a solid #4-5D with size and physicality. 

 

Bear is a small #4-5 coming off a major injury.  There's simply no way he can earn as much with those caveats. Healthy, under regular rising cap, he'd probably get  $2.2-$2.5m. Injured, under flat cap... He'll be lucky to get a pro rated $1.5 IMO.


Shuffling around 6th guys with 7th guys doesn't do anything one way or another.  We have extra guys on the farm like Irwin who are fine for those limited roles.  Spending money on Bear, even in the $1.5-2.0 million range which is really optimistic, eliminates the chance to find an actual solution

Adding a top four guy moves everyone else down a spot on the pairings including a guy like Juulsen which is the only thing really needed.

Soucy hasn't been a top four guy his career, the team was hopeful he could make that jump.  A 2nd pairing guy plays 20 minutes a game.  His yearly averages over his career are 15-17 minutes which are 3rd pairing minutes.

Hughes-XX
Cole-Hronek
Soucy-Myers
Irwin-Juulsen
Hirose-Friedman

  • Vintage 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

 

Exactly this.  We need a #2A or #3 calibre guy that can form a legit top pairing with Quinn Hughes while allowing Hronek to anchor a 2nd pairing.  Hughes and Hronek are capable of playing with each other but they aren't an ideal stylistic fit.  

 

Again, medium long term we absolutely need a legit top 4 partner for Hughes. Problem being, #2-#3D aren't readily available and cost a lot of cap space. 

 

Until the Freidman trade we've been playing an #8-9D on the 3rd pair. Bear is at least an actual 3rd pair D. He's also readily available and should cost minimal cap. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

  • Cheers 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...