Carter Bear didn’t look like he belonged when he first stepped into Detroit Red Wings training camp last fall. A year later, the 19-year-old left wing looks a lot closer to the player the organization hoped it was getting when it took him 13th overall in the 2025 NHL entry draft.
The difference, by all accounts, has been obvious. Bear has grown into his 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame, and the game has started to slow down for him too.
“It’s very noticeable, the difference from last year to this year,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said. “And that’s what one year does.”
McLellan said Bear is playing with more confidence and more purpose on the puck. Instead of simply trying to survive at camp, he’s now looking to make plays and drive his line. The change shows up in the little things, too.
“Confidence,” McLellan said. “He has no problem walking into the coach’s room to ask a question.
Now, last year he never even went near there. So he feels much better about his game.”
Bear’s first camp also came with a major complication: he was still working his way back from a serious Achilles injury. That made the climb even steeper.
“He’s physically stronger,” McLellan said. “If we remember last year, he’s coming off the Achilles injury. His summer was spent healing and then trying to catch up.
“This summer was a real good training summer. He’s bigger, he’s stronger, he’s more confident, and it is exciting to see that.”
For now, Bear appears more likely to start his pro career with the Grand Rapids Griffins than with Detroit. Griffins coach Dan Watson sees a player who can bring a lot to the AHL lineup right away.
“Well, I think he goes to net,” Watson said. “He has no problem going to the hard areas, whether it’s digging along the wall, in the corners, around the net front.
“A lot of times you’re going to be facing some physicality around the net. He has no problem going there. And I think you see some of the speed, the skill he brings, but he’s also responsible.
“I think he’s going to be a really good player. He’s just, again, learning the pro style of hockey. But with him, it’s his willingness to do the hard things.”
A Red Wings roster spot out of preseason would still be a tall order. Still, McLellan isn’t ruling out the possibility.
“I hope he pushes for a spot on the team,” McLellan said.
In Other News...
Red Wings Just Got An Early Injury Watch In Columbus
A preseason tuneup in Columbus brought an early injury note for a Blue Jackets defense group that could matter to the Red Wings once the games start counting. Dante Fabbro, projected to open the regular season on the third pairing, was knocked out of the game with an upper-body injury and did not return, adding a little uncertainty to a blue line that is still sorting itself out before opening night.
For Detroit, it is the sort of roster wrinkle worth watching because it can affect how Columbus lines up in division play. If Fabbro is sidelined, veteran Erik Gudbranson is the most likely option to step in, which would give the Blue Jackets a different look on the back end while they wait for more clarity on Fabbros status. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings May Have One Wild Shot To Fix Their Center Problem
Detroits search for help down the middle has already turned into one of the more interesting roster questions of the preseason, and one possible answer sits in the restricted free-agent market. The Red Wings have been casting around for ways to bolster their center depth, and the idea of taking a big swing on a young, high-end talent has come into view as the kind of aggressive move that can change the look of a lineup in a hurry.
The appeal is obvious: a player with top-line upside would immediately address a need that has lingered for Detroit, even if the path to getting him is loaded with risk and complications under the NHLs collective bargaining agreement. Any offer-sheet pursuit would be the sort of cap-and-picks gamble that forces a team to weigh the long-term cost against the chance to land a difference-making center now, which is why this kind of possibility tends to linger until the final moment before the window closes. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Got One Encouraging Sign In A Frustrating Debut
Detroit had one clear bright spot in a frustrating preseason opener, and it came from the newest face in net. Daniil Tarasov was sharp from the start against the Columbus Blue Jackets, stopping all 15 shots he faced in his first preseason game for the Red Wings. Michal Postava took over in the third period and overtime and added 10 more saves, giving Detroit a steady night in goal even as the rest of the game stayed stuck in a grind.
The problem for the Red Wings was that the scoreboard never moved their way. They could not solve Columbus in regulation, then came up empty in the shootout as the game slipped away in a 1-0 finish. For a team looking to set an early tone, the goaltending offered encouragement, but the lack of finishing left plenty of room for concern. [Read more 🡒]