Report: Canucks “getting priced out” of contract discussions for Ethan Bear

The Blue Jays missed out on Shohei Ohtani, and now it looks like the Vancouver Canucks might be out of the running for Ethan Bear.

According to a new report by Sportsnet’s Satiar Shah, the Canucks are unlikely to be part of the bidding war for the unrestricted free agent defenceman, who is based out of Kelowna and played for the Canucks last season.

“Looks like the Canucks are getting priced out of the Ethan Bear sweepstakes,” Shah posted to Twitter on Saturday afternoon. “The free agent defenceman has interest from a number of teams but doesn’t seem like Vancouver will be part of a bidding war.”

Bear, 26, is an unrestricted free agent coming off shoulder surgery he underwent to correct an injury he sustained while playing for Team Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Hockey Championship. He won a gold medal at that tournament.

This news comes in the wake of the Canucks acquiring pending unrestricted free agent defenceman Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames. Zadorov is in the final year of a contract that carries a $3.75 million cap hit.

According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New Jersey Devils are among the teams believed to be interested in procuring Bear’s services.

The Edmonton Oilers originally selected Bear in the fifth round (No. 124 overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft. The 5’11” right-handed defenceman made his NHL debut with the Oilers during the 2017–18 regular season.

After spending parts of three seasons with the Oilers, Bear was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021 in exchange for winger Warren Foegele. Bear remained in Carolina for one season, appearing in 58 games, before being dealt to Vancouver alongside Lane Pederson in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick.

Through 251 career NHL games over parts of five seasons with the Oilers, Hurricanes, and Canucks, Bear has collected 16 goals and 63 points.