The Islanders brought back organizational depth for their blue line Monday, inking defenseman Ethan Bear to a one-year, two-way extension, the team announced.
He was set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
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Bear, 28 years old and a fifth-round pick by the Oilers in 2015, has skated in 275 NHL games across his career — most recently in March 2024 with the Capitals — but hasn’t found a route back to that level the last two seasons.
With AHL Bridgeport in 2025-26, Bear sustained an injury during training camp and appeared only in 40 games during the regular season, collecting four goals and 23 assists to lead the affiliate’s defensemen in scoring.
But earlier in his career, Bear, on occasion, secured a regular role in NHL lineups, logging 71 games for the Oilers in 2019-20, 58 for the Hurricanes in 2021-22 and another 61 for the Canucks the following season.
He was waived by Washington in October 2024, assigned to AHL Hershey for the 2024-25 campaign after clearing, earned an AHL All-Star Game nod and ended up with Bridgeport last season on a two-way deal.
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Bear will be far from the only question the Islanders have to answer regarding the right side of their organization’s blue line this summer.
Ethan Bear skates during a September 2025 practice for the Islanders. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Tony D’Angelo will be an unrestricted free agent.
They have plenty of depth on the left side, starting with Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer, Adam Pelech and a recovering Alexander Romanov, but Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield are the only certainties on the right side.
Those calls and additions will likely impact Mathieu Darche’s club at the NHL level more imminently than the Bear transaction.
But for now, in the weeks before free agency begins, the Islanders began by addressing their depth.
