Vancouver Canucks acquire defenseman Ethan Bear from the Carolina Hurricanes
According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, the Vancouver Canucks have acquired defenseman Ethan Bear from the Carolina Hurricanes.
**Breaking News** 🚨 📰
But with a Cruise 🚢.@Canes trading D Ethan Bear and a Non Roster @NHL Player to @Canucks for a 5th Rd Pick. @espn @NHL @NHLNetwork @DraftKings #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/5wQmqbAmP5
The Hurricanes will also be sending AHL forward Lane Pederson to Vancouver and will retain $400,000 of Bear’s salary, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.
#Canes are also retaining $400,000 on Bear ⬇️ https://t.co/sbsUbZChNg
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 28, 2022
Bear is signed to a one-year contract earning him $2,200,000 this season. The Hurricanes will receive a 2023 5th-round pick.
The move is the second trade made by the Canucks in the last 24 hours. The Canucks recently traded for forward Jack Studnicka from the Boston Bruins in exchange for AHLers Michael DiPietro and Jonathan Myrenberg.
Bear has not suited up for any games this year in Carolina and it was clear a trade was on the horizon. He was originally acquired by the Hurricanes in the 2021 offseason in a one-for-one deal with the Edmonton Oilers for forward Warren Foegele.
In 190 career NHL games, the 25-year-old blueliner has 13 goals and 47 points along with a minus-15 rating and 77 penalty minutes.
The trade to Vancouver presents a unique opportunity for Bear to get his career back on track. He established himself last year as a dependable top-six defenseman but was sidelined with COVID-19 in November and couldn’t get back on track upon his return. He didn’t dress for any of Carolina’s playoff games last spring. In Vancouver, he will be relied upon to take a bigger role as one of the team’s few capable right-handed defencemen.
The other player involved in the trade, Pederson, is currently playing for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL. He was never drafted into the NHL but has established himself as a solid AHL scorer. Over the last two seasons, he played 44 games in the NHL between the San Jose Sharks and Arizona Coyotes. He recorded a goal and four assists in that span.
In 209 AHL games, Pederson has scored 67 goals and 142 points and he will contribute as a depth piece in the Vancouver Canucks organization.