The Detroit Red Wings announced today that they have signed 2025 first round pick Carter Bear. Bear, selected 13th overall, is a physical, competitive player with a penchant for playmaking. This signing makes Bear ineligible to play in the NCAA. He will likely return to the Everett Silvertips of the WHL for the 2025-26 season.
Bear, 18, ended last season with 40 goals and 42 assists for 82 points in 56 games in the WHL. His versatility has earned him comparisons to Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel and Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis. It will be at least a year before Bear is eligible for the NHL or AHL, but this signing suggests a plan for Bear in Detroit’s future.
What Carter Bear Brings to the Red Wings
Carter Bear fills the Tyler Bertuzzi-shaped void left following his trade to the Boston Bruins. The Red Wings have been searching for playoff depth for quite some time. Bear’s play style fits the exact mold in mind. Players like Sam Bennett, Zach Hyman and Brandon Hagel are built for the grueling march of the playoffs. Should Bear continue to blossom in his role, he can become that physical top-six presence the Red Wings need.
With that in mind, however, the team will have to wait at least a year before Bear can make it in the NHL. If general manager Steve Yzerman’s habits are any indication, he’ll likely join the team in the 2027-28 season.
The Red Wings have taken a slow, steady approach to their rebuild, graduating two prospects per year. Last season’s graduates included Marco Kasper and Albert Johansson. The season before saw Simon Edvinsson and Elmer Soderblom make their NHL push. Three seasons ago, Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider took the league by storm.
If history is any indication, the Red Wings will likely add Carter Mazur and Axel Sandin-Pellikka to the lineup. Having said that, crazier things have happened. Nate Danielson nearly made the roster last season and could very well make the push this year.
Red Wings Push for Playoffs
It’s been nine years since the Detroit Red Wings last made the playoffs. Having said that, the offseason is far from over. As of right now, the Red Wings have made a trade for John Gibson and signed Jacob Bernard-Docker, Mason Appleton and James van Riemsdyk.
“Jacob Bernard-Docker gives us a little bit of depth on defense,” Yzerman said in his post-free agency press conference. “Not a big-name signing but has been an effective player in his time in Ottawa in particular. He plays hard and competes…Up front with JVR, on the left wing, bigger body…Mason Appleton as well, a right winger that plays on the penalty kill and chips in a little bit of offense.”
Yzerman stresseed the importance of pushing for further changes this offseason. “Opportunities arise. You try to force it or chase it, there’s too many years, too many dollars or you give up too much in a trade…Trying to be diligent, maybe patient, just wait for the right player, the right opportunity, whether it is in a trade or in free agency, to add to our lineup and use our assets wisely if we can.”
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