The Washington Capitals have had a middling start to the 2023-24 campaign, as their 39 points are good for just fifth place in the Metropolitan Division currently. However, they have gotten a long-awaited reinforcement in defenseman Ethan Bear, who has officially signed with the team after weeks of speculation.

Bear hasn't played in the NHL at all this season after he suffered an injury while representing Canada at the world championships in the spring. As he got healthier, several teams were lurking around Bear in hopes of signing him, but once he started practicing with Washington, it was clear where he would be signing. The deal is now official, though, as Bear has put pen to paper on a two-year, $4.125 million contract.

“Ethan Bear is back in the NHL following shoulder surgery after signing a two-year contract with the Washington Capitals. General manager Brian MacLellan announced the long-expected deal with the defenseman Thursday, just over a week since Bear joined the Capitals for practice and they confirmed their intent to sign him. The contract is worth a pro-rated $4.125 million and carries a salary cap hit of $2.0625 million for the rest of this season and the 2024-25 season.” – The Score

Ethan Bear could help shore up Capitals blue line

Bear isn't the greatest hockey player of all time by any means, but he's a strong passer from the blue line who can also hold his own as a defender as well. Bear also has a knack for scoring goals at big times, as five of his 16 career goals have been game-winners, and you can't have enough players who can deliver for their team in the clutch.

Being able to sign a starting-caliber player like Bear at this point in the season isn't something that can be overlooked, and Washington will be hoping he can quickly find a role on their team now that he's officially a part of it. After quite a bit of speculation, it will be interesting to see what sort of impact Bear will manage to have with his new team.