Forward Carter Bear's competitiveness and tenacity is what sets him apart from other forwards in this draft class.
"I don't like to take a shift off. At all," Bear told me at the NHL's scouting combine in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this month.
Bear, 18, will be a first-round pick on Friday on Day 1 of the draft, expected to be selected somewhere in the early teens -- right around where the Penguins pick at No. 11 and 12 overall. Bear wouldn't make for a bad choice for one of those picks.
Bear, who can play both center and wing, described himself to me as a "hard, skilled player" with "a pretty good IQ and a sense around the rink. When I get the puck, I think I make chances happen and make plays happen."
Bear spent last season with the WHL's Everett Silvertips, where he led the team in goals (40) and points (82) in just 56 games, totals good enough to rank seventh in the league in goals and 18th in points. His season ended in early March when he took an opponent's skate to his ankle and tore his Achilles. The injury kept him out of the postseason and was still something he was rehabbing at the combine, but he's back on the ice and "feels great."
Steve Hamilton, the coach of Bear's Silvertips, praised Beat as being an "elite netfront guy" first and foremost in an interview with the CHL league site.
“I think the best way to describe it is that he knows where to go to score and how to get that done," Hamilton said. "He’s not afraid to go to the net, not afraid to win battles. But he can also score from a distance. He’s got the knack and that’s not necessarily a trait you can teach, but he really figured out how he can find the back of the net consistently throughout the year. He understands there are very, very, very few, if any, one-dimensional players left in the NHL. Everybody checks, everybody puts pressure on the puck, does the right things, the little things, because it’s just become a requirement. So he knows if he wants to be a pro, those are things he has to do.”
An NHL scout told the Elite Prospects Draft Guide in April that Bear "has got jam and grit. He goes to the dirty areas to score goals. Skill is underrated too and he’s a good finisher," but noted that his "feet need to improve."
When I asked Bear what part of his game of his game he needs to work on the most, he too named his skating ... and he knows exactly why that is.
"I think I have a bad posture when I skate," he explained. "I think I lean too forward when I skate. It's also kind of lengthening that stride. And getting stronger overall, too."
Bear was last listed at 6 feet and 177 pounds, though it's worth noting that because he missed fitness testing at the combine, he didn't get updated measurements like everyone else. Regardless, that's not a bad starting point weight-wise, and he's far from the only player here who needs to add strength before making it to the next level.
Bear met with "around 25 teams" at the combine, the Penguins included.
The Penguins need high-end prospects period out of this draft, and a high-end center should be at the top of the list. Bear does play both wing and center, but plays more wing, and it's hard to project which position he'd be at the pro level. If the Penguins do end up being dead-set on getting a natural center, there will likely be better options available. But if they want to use one of their picks on a forward who might end up being a wing at the NHL level, Bear's tenacity and skill at the net-front would be a welcome addition to the system.
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
1:37 am - 06.26.2025Buffalo, N.Y.Draft profiles: Bear brings tenacity
Forward Carter Bear's competitiveness and tenacity is what sets him apart from other forwards in this draft class.
"I don't like to take a shift off. At all," Bear told me at the NHL's scouting combine in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this month.
Bear, 18, will be a first-round pick on Friday on Day 1 of the draft, expected to be selected somewhere in the early teens -- right around where the Penguins pick at No. 11 and 12 overall. Bear wouldn't make for a bad choice for one of those picks.
Bear, who can play both center and wing, described himself to me as a "hard, skilled player" with "a pretty good IQ and a sense around the rink. When I get the puck, I think I make chances happen and make plays happen."
Bear spent last season with the WHL's Everett Silvertips, where he led the team in goals (40) and points (82) in just 56 games, totals good enough to rank seventh in the league in goals and 18th in points. His season ended in early March when he took an opponent's skate to his ankle and tore his Achilles. The injury kept him out of the postseason and was still something he was rehabbing at the combine, but he's back on the ice and "feels great."
Steve Hamilton, the coach of Bear's Silvertips, praised Beat as being an "elite netfront guy" first and foremost in an interview with the CHL league site.
“I think the best way to describe it is that he knows where to go to score and how to get that done," Hamilton said. "He’s not afraid to go to the net, not afraid to win battles. But he can also score from a distance. He’s got the knack and that’s not necessarily a trait you can teach, but he really figured out how he can find the back of the net consistently throughout the year. He understands there are very, very, very few, if any, one-dimensional players left in the NHL. Everybody checks, everybody puts pressure on the puck, does the right things, the little things, because it’s just become a requirement. So he knows if he wants to be a pro, those are things he has to do.”
An NHL scout told the Elite Prospects Draft Guide in April that Bear "has got jam and grit. He goes to the dirty areas to score goals. Skill is underrated too and he’s a good finisher," but noted that his "feet need to improve."
When I asked Bear what part of his game of his game he needs to work on the most, he too named his skating ... and he knows exactly why that is.
"I think I have a bad posture when I skate," he explained. "I think I lean too forward when I skate. It's also kind of lengthening that stride. And getting stronger overall, too."
Bear was last listed at 6 feet and 177 pounds, though it's worth noting that because he missed fitness testing at the combine, he didn't get updated measurements like everyone else. Regardless, that's not a bad starting point weight-wise, and he's far from the only player here who needs to add strength before making it to the next level.
Bear met with "around 25 teams" at the combine, the Penguins included.
The Penguins need high-end prospects period out of this draft, and a high-end center should be at the top of the list. Bear does play both wing and center, but plays more wing, and it's hard to project which position he'd be at the pro level. If the Penguins do end up being dead-set on getting a natural center, there will likely be better options available. But if they want to use one of their picks on a forward who might end up being a wing at the NHL level, Bear's tenacity and skill at the net-front would be a welcome addition to the system.
Want to participate in our comments?
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Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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