Carter Bear may be the Red Wings prospect worth watching most closely when camp opens.
Detroit has no shortage of young talent to keep tabs on, but Bear has managed to slip a little under the radar despite a strong season with the Everett Silvertips. The former first-round pick finished with 77 points in 53 games, and his game has drawn a wide range of labels - tenacious, slippery, shifty - all of them fitting for a player whose movement seems to create passing lanes out of nowhere.
What makes Bear stand out beyond the production is the way he talks about the next step. In an interview with the Detroit News, he didn’t sound like a player chasing headlines. He sounded like someone already locked in on the work ahead.
"It's pro now, and it's a whole level of hockey," he began.. "It's different than junior.
It's faster and you have to be smarter and stronger. I just have to work on my game, that's what Detroit wants me to focus on and I trust Detroit on whatever their best development is for me."
"I trust them with that and it'll all work out."
That kind of straightforward answer goes a long way, especially after months upon months of the Dylan Larkin fiasco.
On the ice, there’s a real path for Bear to push for a roster spot out of camp. Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis believes Bear can be an NHLer next season, and the opportunity in front of him is not hard to see.
Detroit has two openings right now - one on the second line, assuming Alex DeBrincat plays on the top line, and another on the third. If Bear is ready, the Red Wings have a real chance to give him a look.
He’s listed as both a left wing and a center, though the wing is the more likely starting point if he sticks. That setup could allow Detroit to move Alex DeBrincat up to the first line and place him on the second alongside Viktor Arvidsson, giving the top group a stronger look while easing Bear in with veteran support.
Still, there’s another side to this. Detroit has built a reputation for letting prospects marinate, and the organization has long preferred to slow-play young players rather than rush them. That approach worked in the Ken Holland era when the Red Wings were regular playoff teams, but the game has changed, and so has the expectation around prospect development.
There’s also the simple reality of the league itself. Bear may need time in the AHL no matter how camp goes, because the jump from the WHL to pro hockey is a different animal. He’ll be facing grown men now, not just younger players on the rise.
Training camp and the preseason will decide the next step. For now, though, Bear is one of the most intriguing names in the mix as the Red Wings get closer to opening camp.
In Other News...
Red Wings Still Have One Roster Concern Hanging Over This Season
Training camp has shifted to the BELFOR Energy Center, giving the Red Wings a new setting as they sort through the final layers of their offseason. The move comes with a front office search still underway, and the organization is working toward having a new general manager in place by Labor Day. On the ice, there is a lot to like about the shape of the roster, especially on the blue line and along the wings, where the group looks deeper and more stable than it has in recent seasons.
Even with that progress, one area still stands out as the concern hanging over the season. Detroits center spine does not look nearly as strong once Dylan Larkin is taken out of the picture, and the next options are being asked to carry more than ideal. Goaltending also remains part of the conversation after last seasons performance, which means the Red Wings may enter camp with more clarity on some parts of the roster than others, but not all of them. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Head Toward Camp With Dylan Larkin Uncertainty Growing
Training camp is getting closer in Detroit, and the uncertainty around Dylan Larkin is becoming harder to ignore. The Red Wings are still without a general manager, leaving the club in a temporary leadership posture at a moment when the captain's status could shape the direction of the roster. Media analysts Jeff Marek and Jason Gregor have suggested the organization is not in position to make a major call on Larkin until a new GM is installed, which only adds another layer to an already delicate situation.
For now, Larkin is still expected to show up when camp opens, and that may be where the next part of this story gets sorted out. If the trade conversation tightens around a limited set of destinations, the Red Wings could end up watching their captain try to handle the situation from inside the room and on the ice, with his play becoming part of the equation. For a team already navigating leadership questions, it is the sort of unresolved issue that can linger well beyond the first day of camp. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Prospect Dylan James Now Faces One Big NHL Question
Dylan James is finally out of the college game and into the professional track the Red Wings have been waiting to see. Detroit took him 40th overall in 2022, and after four seasons at North Dakota, he brought a steadier offensive presence to his senior year with 21 goals before making the jump to the AHL with Grand Rapids.
What comes next is the part that will determine how far he can rise in the organization. James has built a reputation on his defensive detail and penalty killing, but the real question is whether he can generate enough NHL-level offense to fit into a lineup long term. The opening signs have been encouraging enough to keep the conversation going, yet his path will still hinge on whether that scoring touch translates against stronger pro competition. [Read more 🡒]