Carter Bear is exactly the type of player every single team loves to have. He strives to be everywhere on the ice and super involved with every aspect of the play. And while some of those classic energy bottom-sixers also possess that motivation, Bear has the skill to go along with all of that work ethic.
That is what drove him to score 40 goals and 82 points in just 56 games for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips this season, leading that team in scoring. A team that matches that same aggressive mentality that is run by players that play with a high pace and have a high motor.
All that skill and physicality is not leading him to be projected to be picked somewhere around that mushy middle of the first round. Maybe a team that wants to get back into the playoffs selects him as someone to keep their competitive window open ever so slightly and will complement their top guys. Or, a team looks at him to be that final piece of the puzzle in their prospect pool after years of rebuilding and get more of a physically adept winger to go with their skill-first forward prospects. Either way, it’s hard not to love how Bear approaches the game and some team is going to have fun watching his development.
The main thing that every single team is going to need to know about though is his injury. At the end of March, Bear suffered a lacerated achilles tendon that ended his season early. It is a major injury and considering that scouts have only seen him play before that injury, could lead to him dropping on some boards. It might not affect his stock as much as Roger McQueen’s back problems will affect his, but it is still something to consider and something you need to know about the prospect.
Pre-draft rankings
No. 10 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)
No. 8 by Elite Prospects
No. 15 by TSN (Bob McKenzie)
No. 16 by Daily Faceoff
No. 9 by Sportsnet (Jason Bukala)
Bio
DOB: November 4, 2006
Birthplace: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Position: Left wing/Center
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 176 lbs
Shoots: Left
Statistics
What’s there to like?
Obviously, in just the small snippets of descriptions, there is a lot to like with Bear. Someone almost every single fan of the sport, whether you like more skilled players or the rough-and-tumble talents and you won’t shut up about “playoff-style players” to anyone who will listen — the Silvertips winger has attributes to his game that can suit every need. Battling hard in the corners, scoring off breakaways, beating defenders to loose pucks; there is just something Bear always does that grabs your attention.
It’s that aggressive playstyle while also being able to back it up if needed to stickhandle through a defender or rip a very timely shot, that should make him an extremely interesting prospect in the middle of the first round for some team that is just on the edge of trying to compete for the playoffs. Bear just feels like that complementary winger of dreams for some ultra-skilled center or playmaking winger at the top of the lineup. He might not be able to completely drive a line on his own, but his game can mold to whatever his team and linemates need him to do.
The common theme you see with Bear’s play in any highlight you watch, or generally throughout his time in Everett, is just how well he can play as that connecting player in a high-pace situation. Constantly laying off passes to his teammates who have quickly found themselves with time and space and able to catch the defending team off-guard. Bear is really the glue that holds a lot of Everett’s offense together and has a whole lot of plays running through him. His vision has to be great to play at that level of pace and react so well to the defensive coverage around him.
But, maybe in addition to all of those offensive attributes, maybe the best thing a team is getting is some level of projectability. While a team will float the thought of drafting a player like Cullen Potter (more on him later in the series) or even later in the draft thinking about selecting Ryker Lee — those are sizeable swings. Players who are either impact offensive players or generally not going to make it in the NHL. When it comes to Bear, a team can feel comfortable knowing that there is potential to be a very good middle-six winger in the best league in the world here, but even if that outcome is a failure, there is still a dependable forward who brings so much else to the game and can still contribute to his team winning a hockey game no matter where he is in the lineup.
What’s not to like?
The main thing to not like about Bear in this range is maybe his ceiling. As noted by Will Scouch in his quote later, Bear can find himself in situations with the puck where he is under tight pressure in the WHL, and instead of making plays that are highly projectable to the NHL, he forces his way out from that coverage. It can be something that certainly works in junior hockey, where he is likely stronger than a whole lot of his peers and can just put his body between them and the puck and everything is solved — in the NHL and professional hockey in general, that is probably not going to fly. He will need to learn a couple new ways to evade incoming defenders instead of trying his best to plow right through them and get to the net.
But speaking of that ceiling, there are other players that will be taken after Bear next month that, if they succeed and find themselves in the NHL, could be contributing way more to their team than Bear. He feels like a safe option, if his injury doesn’t truly affect him going forward.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
In the perfect world that Bear is selected by the Flyers, he would be an instant hit. With a fiery passion to disrupt plays and get right into the center of all the action, he would be one of those prospects that would gel almost immediately with what the Flyers have going on in the NHL. One of the most perfect player-team combinations we can really think of in this entire draft class.
Of course, overall, it wouldn’t really raise the ceiling of this prospect class but instead would be another very solid piece for a very solid pool.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
We have to think that Bear will be selected in the unreachable part of the first round for the Flyers. Now that the pick has been confirmed at sixth overall for the Flyers, we know that there is a certain group of prospects — which we have already talked about — that is in that tier available for Philadelphia in that range.
Now, moving further down the first round to the other two picks, the only scenario that the Flyers could realistically select Bear is either by ruthlessly moving up to select him in the right range, or teams are so scared off by his achilles injury that suddenly he dramatically drops.
What scouts are saying
“He possesses quick, soft hands, legit skill, good speed and a natural shot but he also stays around it, plays with intensity, works extremely hard and goes to the net and inside ice. I’ve seen him make some impressive skill plays this season and dance goalies and defensemen, but he can also beat you with his work ethic and I like both the intentionality of his game and the way he uses his skill to play to the middle third.”
— Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
“He’s feisty, competitive, physical, but highly skilled. He’s the source of half of Everett’s offensive output in my sample with great defensive metrics in transition, but his passing vision and timing does need a bit of work. He finds himself forcing his way out of pressure situations a bit too much and would love to see a bit more open ice success from him in the future. His offensive threat metric trails behind his cohort in this range, but similarly to Anton Frondell, I still see a guy who will fit in somewhere on an NHL team. Offensive output might be a question, but he does the things you need to do to win. Hit, skate, handle the puck, go to the net, be competitive, he’s got it all. I don’t think he projects as a centre but as a winger I think his tools are best utilized and project as well as possible.”
— Will Scouch, scouching.ca
“His dynamic speed and agility allow him to be a constant presence on the ice, always moving in the offensive zone to find open ice and create chances. Bear’s ability to cut and change direction, combined with excellent hands, makes him elusive in tight spaces, and he pairs this with a physical edge, consistently finishing hits and engaging in battles. He is highly intelligent, often anticipating plays and predicting where defenders will be, which enables him to excel as an F3 and contribute effectively on both special teams. His passing is smart and accurate, complementing his offensive and defensive contributions.”
— Kohen Willis Dengler, FCHockey
With Bear come and gone, we have to add one more player to the poll. Welcome to winger heralding from the QMJHL’s Blainsville-Boisbrand Armada, Justin Carbonneau.
“Carbonneau’s a talented offensive-zone player with naturally quick hands, a quick release that can beat goalies from midrange and change angles on defensemen and strong athletic tools as a solid kid and sturdy skater with a pro frame. He can challenge defenders and threaten offensively on or off the puck.”
–Scott Wheeler, The Athletic