I readily admit that I’m not a draft expert. Between watching Red Wings games, other NHL games, cooking shows, and the whole “being a caregiver to an 83-year-old aunt” thing, I don’t really get the time to head out to local rinks and scout players.
That’s unfortunate given the wealth of competitive hockey around the Metro Detroit area, but it is what it is–I can’t take Aunt Annie and her two titanium hips to every rink–so I defer to the experts in this instance.
So: three draft experts, two from The Athletic and one from FloHockey.tv, have weighed in on the Red Wings’ decision to draft Carter Bear with the 13th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, and here’s what they had to say:
First, Corey Pronman offers this assessment of the Bear pick:
13. Detroit Red Wings: Carter Bear, LW, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
November 4, 2006 | 6′ 0″ | 179 pounds
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Player comparable: Troy Terry
Analysis: Bear was a leading player on a top team in the WHL this season before a recent injury knocked him out for the remainder of the year. He’s a very skilled forward with the quick twitch hands and high-end creativity to create offense at the NHL level. He makes a lot of plays through defenders and to his teammates. Bear’s skill stands out, but the way he creates offense should likely translate to higher levels. He gets to the net to generate chances, plays fast and is a good enough skater. He’s also a highly physical winger who creates a lot of chances in traffic. He projects as a top-six winger who coaches will feel comfortable using in any situation.
Pick grade: B
The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler also weighed in, deeming the Red Wings an “overtime winner” in his draft-winners-and-losers column:
Detroit Red Wings
Pick No. 13: Carter Bear
My ranking: No. 14The Red Wings have one of the clearest types, and Bear always fit it to a T. He’s a driven, hardworking, competitive player who plays an honest, determined game. He’s got real skill and can make things happen at pace and in straight lines, too. He projects as an up-and-down-the-lineup top-nine winger who you could imagine as a go-getter whose skill is secondary on a top line when it needs to be or a real driver and creator on a middle line. He’s also a lefty, which I think matters when several of the other forwards they’re building around (Lucas Raymond, Nate Danielson, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, etc.) are righties. A skate laceration that partially tore his Achilles and prematurely ended his season caused some to wonder if he might slip from the early teens to the late teens, but this was the range he belongs in on talent and projection in this age group.
And finally, here’s FloHockey.tv’s Chris Peters’ take:
No. 13 Detroit Red Wings Select: Carter Bear, LW, Everett Silvertips
Scouting Report
If not for an Achilles injury late in the season, Bear was starting to push into the discussion of this draft’s top 12. He is one of the better goal scorers in this draft, having posted 40 in 56 games with Everett. Bear has the quickness and the skill to challenge defenders and competes, too. He’s an average-sized winger that can get after opposing players and engage physically, even if that is not going to be a primary selling point of his game. As long as teams are satisfied with the injury recovery, Bear has a chance to go a bit higher as he has one of the best offensive toolkits among players in this range.
Instant Analysis
The Red Wings definitely have a type. They want guys that have skill, but who also play hard. After drafting a number of players that match skill with some grit, they do it again with Bear. I do think Bear might have more natural skill than some of the recent selections like Marco Kasper and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, which adds a nice element to a potential top-six weapon. We’ll see how his injury heals itself. It does not sound like there will be lingering issues. Bear says he wants to play like Travis Konecny, which is a great player archetype to aspire to.
I honestly thought that the Red Wings were going to go with one of Victor Eklund, Justin Carbonneau, Kashawn Aitcheson, or Bear, and they went with Bear.
I am very satisfied with his “motor” and his goal-scoring ability, but I caution you that, while prospect prognostication has become more advanced over the years, all of these kids are still 17, 18 or 19 years of age, and so their development is rarely linear. There will be ups and downs in Bear’s development as he heads back to Everett of the WHL for the upcoming season, and then attempts to make the jump to the AHL, etc., so we’re all along for the ride now.
