The verdict is in for the Canucks and Ethan Bear

At this point last year, everybody believed that the Canucks and Bear would reunite once he'd healed from the injury he had suffered at the World Championships. Bear made it back to 100% but ultimately chose the two-year offer that came from the Washington Capitals rather than the Canucks' one-year offer.

After 24 regular season games in 2023-2024, performances that did not exceed expectations, the defenseman attended this year's camp, hoping to show that he belonged. The Capitals' summer additions had the best of him, and Bear wound up on the waiver wire, free for every other team to grab.

The Vancouver Canucks was presented with an opportunity to freely acquire Bear, a fan favourite during his time with the organization and a right-handed puck-moving defenceman; precisely what the team could use at the moment.

However, the team's tight salary cap and his $2M cap hit made it hard for Allvin to claim their former number 74. Elliotte Friedman reported that the 31 NHL franchises had passed on Bear and that he would have to report to the Capitals' AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

Given the Canucks' current roster, had they chosen to claim Bear despite his $2M cap hit. It would've meant that one of Noah Juulsen or Mark Friedman would've been forced on waivers, which may have been too expensive for Patrik Allvin and his staff.