The Hurricanes will also be sending AHL player Lane Pederson to Vancouver and will retain $400,000 of Bear’s salary. Bear is signed to a one-year contract earning him $2,200,000 this season. The Hurricanes will receive a 2023 5th-round pick.

The move is the second trade made by the Canucks in the last 24 hours. The Canucks recently traded for forward Jack Studnicka from the Boston Bruins in exchange for AHLers Michael DePietro and Jonathan Myrenberg.

Ethan Bear has not suited up for any games this year in Carolina and it was clear a trade was on the horizon. He was originally acquired by the Hurricanes in the 2021 offseason in a one-for-one deal with the Edmonton Oilers for forward Warren Foegele.

In 190 career NHL games, the 25-year-old defenceman has 13 goals and 47 points along with a -15 rating and 77 penalty minutes.

The trade to Vancouver presents a unique opportunity for Bear to get his career back on track. He established himself last year as a dependable top-six defenceman but for some reason, it didn’t work out this year in Carolina. In Vancouver, he will be relied upon to take a big role as one of the team’s few capable right-handed defencemen.

The other player involved in the trade, Lane Pederson, is currently playing for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL. He was never drafted into the NHL but has established himself as a solid AHL scorer. Over the last two seasons, he played 44 games in the NHL between the San Jose Sharks and Arizona Coyotes. He recorded a goal and four assists in that span.

In 209 AHL games, Pederson has scored 67 goals and 142 points and he will contribute as a depth piece in the Vancouver Canucks organization.