Former Oilers Defenceman Placed on Waivers, Edmonton Connected to Waiver Wire

PUBLICATION

Noel Drolet
October 4, 2024 (1:28 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Ethan Bear may be moving teams after being placed on waivers by the Capitals.

With training camp over and the NHL season starting, teams are looking to cut down to their rosters for the regular season. One team who shook things up a lot over the offseason was the Capitals, who brought in a lot of pieces to revamp their team after a poor year. Ethan Bear seems to be left out after their new additions, after an underwhelming preseason.

Ethan Bear has struggled to find his feet in the NHL recently, with 3 teams in 3 years since his days in Edmonton. He had a rough season last year with only 4 points in 24 games, and a -5 rating.

Despite his declining performance over the past couple years, he is still a depth NHLer. He can still be productive in very sheltered minutes, and should find a place to land in the NHL.

There are many teams in the NHL who could use a depth right handed defenseman like Bear. If he gets claimed off waivers, a team would have to take his whole 2 million dollar contract, which is unlikely.

The more likely scenario is that he's acquired in a trade, with the Capitals retaining some salary on his contract. The Oilers could give him a look for a reunion, although it would have to be worth their while to bring him back in, and they can probably find a higher impact defender in trade.

The Oilers have been connected to a number of defenceman on waivers due to Josh Brown's struggles in preseason, but any player they pick up there will likely be making league minimum.

The Oilers could still have an extra move up their sleeve before the regular season, so keep it locked here for all you Oilers news.