ROOKIE D-MAN HAVING A BLAST WITH THE OILERS
Bear has been an early season surprise as replacement for injured veteran Larsson
When you ask Jim Playfair how he sees defenceman Ethan Bear a few years down the road — shutdown guy, puck threat or more of hybrid — if you’re expecting faint praise from the coach who instructs the Edmonton Oilers defenceman, forget it.
“(Mark) Giordano could be a quick comparable,” said Playfair.
We’re talking the Gio of a dozen years ago. Not the reigning Norris Trophy winner. Both guys have battled doubters; Giordano was never drafted, Bear was a fifth-round pick. Not a straightline career path.
“I see Ethan along the same lines. He’s got good vision, he’s committed, he’s learning about his off-ice conditioning. We had Gio first as an overage junior at development camps in Calgary,” said Playfair, who coached Giordano with the Flames.
Giordano became a regular at 25 after a stay in the KHL, and the rookie Bear, 22, who never got a call-up from Bakersfield last year, has stepped in handsomely alongside Darnell Nurse with partner Adam Larsson breaking his leg.
Bear is playing 21 minutes a night.
Against the Jets on Sunday, Bear played 25½ minutes, almost four of those killing penalties, and also found his way onto the OT three-on-three for a shift. He’s got two goals in his nine games and almost had a third against Connor Hellebuyck when he unloaded one from the forward tees from the high slot.
“Hit him high shoulder. I should have gone low glove,” said Bear.
The 25 minutes he played against the Jets was eye-popping, but Bear isn’t a clock watcher.
“Didn’t seem like it, but I’m trying to live in the moment. I’m trying to be dialed in and I’m having fun,” he said.
Eventually, Larsson will be back in the top-four because he’s that good and generally veterans don’t lose their spots when they’re hurt. But Bear doesn’t look like he’ll drop into the third D pairing. He is too cool a cat, he likes the heat, makes plays, angles threats to the boards, although Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler didn’t always comply Sunday.
They are far from sheltering him.
“We got into him into a PK role to where he’s now starting it, also first and last minute roles (in periods), into a power play (second unit) role, even in the overtime,” said Playfair. “There has to be some fairness; we don’t want him drinking water through a fire hose right? But he’s going to have a long career.”
Playfair didn’t know Bear except from playing in the WHL, so no preconceived notions. He had to be won over and he was.
“I didn’t know much about him when I got here, which might be a refreshing thing for young players, but he dedicated a whole summer to getting into a (workout, nutrition) routine and he talked about how Dave Manson helped him with that, too, in the American League to get his days organized between his practices and his games,” said Playfair. “He was in a pool of young defenceman at camp. I watched video of all of them as (head coach) Dave (Tippett) did. Coming in maybe we had an idea where people like (Caleb) Jones, Ethan, (William) Lagesson fit, but we also were looking at veterans in camp and you sort them out and you can see where they slot in.
“But then there was this next wave of kids, very neat to see. There’s more coming (Evan Bouchard, Dmitry Samorukov, Philip Broberg). They can see the discipline Ethan put in this summer. Ethan jumps in and he plays when there’s an opening.”
Bear has shown a good facility for wiggling out of trouble when forechecked hard.
He doesn’t just throw the puck along the boards. He tries to make a play.
“It’s because of his feet and his stick. He has been calm under pressure because he’s skilled with the puck. He’s shown he can get into a good defending position and by doing that, he is getting a greater awareness of where his outlets (passes) are. Then his offence comes from the defending,” said Playfair.
Bear isn’t sweating the large or small stuff.
“I’m trying to make plays under pressure, stay poised, not panic. But at this point, you should know where guys (teammates) are going to be and they’re supporting me. I can trust them,” he said.
He’s a quick study in Playfair’s eyes.
“He had a shot blocked in the Detroit game, came to the bench and said ‘what should I do there?’ I told him to look for the mesh (net). Then he comes back, finds the mesh and scores. He’s excited. That’s what you enjoy about kids.
“First it looked like a wall to Ethan, next time he sees a hole.”
He has been calm under pressure because he’s skilled with the puck.