Steve Yzerman signs a goal-scoring star of a forward: But there's an interesting catch for the Red Wings
Photo credit: Caroline Anne/Everett Silvertips
Big news today, as Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Bear has signed his ELC with the team, could Steve Yzerman be planning his next move to jump into Detroit right away, or develop in Grand Rapids?
The Detroit Red Wings have signed their 1st-round draft pick in 2025, Carter Bear, to a three-year entry-level contract.
The interesting part of this news today? The ELC he has signed makes him ineligible to play in the NCAA, giving him less of a chance to develop his game further in a collegiate atmosphere.
Instead, he'll be poised to either join the Detroit Red Wings roster, if he makes it out of camp, or will he be sent to the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins to develop?
Bear played last season in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips, scoring 82 points (40-42) in 56 games.
He was selected 13th overall in the 1st-round this year by GM Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings, adding another significant piece to their prospect pipeline.
And it seems like he'll have a chance to make an impact on the team sooner than he'd expected.
Bear joined the Detroit Red Wings for the development camp in the Belfor Center from June 30th to July 3rd.
He's a relentless hard-worker, a constant pace-pusher, and plays a detailed game. He's shown he can play an intentional, straight-lines checking game in addition to a more skilled, dynamic one.
The Red Wings look like they have drafted a real game changer this season, and we hope this scouting report proves to be true, as he could find a home in the Red Wings' middle six as a consistent goal scorer and forechecker.
