The Everett Silvertips forward projects right in the ballpark of where the Penguins will be selecting.
Welcome back to our feature on draft profiles for projected top picks in the upcoming 2025 NHL draft. Catch up with the previous ones here:
No 1: Matthew Schaefer
No 2: Michael Misa
No. 3: Porter Martone
No. 4: Anton Frondell
No. 5: James Hagens
No. 6: Caleb Desnoyers
No. 7: Jake O’Brien
No. 8: Roger McQueen
No. 9: Victor Eklund
No. 10: Jackson Smith
No. 11: Radim Mrtka
No. 12: Brady Martin
For the rankings, we have turned to the venerable Bob McKenzie from TSN for his listing of players. McKenzie’s list is typically in-tune with the NHL, because his rankings are an average that comes from surveying 10 active NHL scouts. As such, the list is set as follows for players we will look to profile in the coming weeks to spread some awareness and knowledge for Pittsburgh NHL fans to get to know some of the top prospects.
No. 13: Carter Bear, 6’0” 179 pounds, LW, Everett (WHL)
A lacerated Achilles tendon ended the 2024-25 season early for draft prospect Carter Bear, but his efforts leading up to the injury helped propel the Everett Silvertips to the top of the WHL standings. Even despite the injury, Bear remains a Top 15 prospect in the upcoming NHL Draft and should hear his name called early on draft night.
All the draft profiles you can find of Bear rave about his hockey skills and how difficult he can be to play against when throw in his tenacious playing style and physicality. There are obvious concerns about the Achilles injury which could impact his draft stock, but the overall read on Bear remains high from scouts and draft experts alike.
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They said it
He’s a very skilled forward with the quick twitch hands and high-end creativity to create offense at the NHL level. He makes a lot of plays through defenders and to his teammates. Bear’s skill stands out, but the way he creates offense should likely translate to higher levels. He gets to the net to generate chances, plays fast and is a good enough skater. He’s also a highly physical winger who creates a lot of chances in traffic. He projects as a top-six winger who coaches will feel comfortable using in any situation.
Player Comp
Troy Terry
Bear drops out of the top 10, but I wouldn’t categorize it as a “drop”, but there are limits in Bear’s game that hold him back from being right up there with the best of them this season. He’s feisty, competitive, physical, but highly skilled. He’s the source of half of Everett’s offensive output in my sample with great defensive metrics in transition, but his passing vision and timing does need a bit of work. He finds himself forcing his way out of pressure situations a bit too much and would love to see a bit more open ice success from him in the future. His offensive threat metric trails behind his cohort in this range, but similarly to Anton Frondell, I still see a guy who will fit in somewhere on an NHL team. Offensive output might be a question, but he does the things you need to do to win. Hit, skate, handle the puck, go to the net, be competitive, he’s got it all. I don’t think he projects as a centre but as a winger I think his tools are best utilized and project as well as possible.
A season-ending injury last month meant we didn’t get to see Bear dominate the WHL playoffs. But he was one of the CHL’s most dangerous forwards this year, registering 40 goals, 82 points and 77 penalty minutes in just 56 games. He’s a difficult player to play against, and his athleticism is top-notch. I still think he goes high in the draft, but it’ll be interesting to see if his late injury impacts his draft status. For me, I’m still hooked – and I know other scouts think he could be a top 10 pick.
Skill and will fit the bill for this Silvertip. Bear used the CHL/USA Prospects Challenge as a springboard before his season came to an end in March due to an achilles injury. He brings speed, physicality and playmaking ability to the table. He also comes from a program that requires defensive details in order to maintain ice-time. Medicals will determine whether he stays this high in the rankings, but the team that ends up taking may be one that holds multiple Round 1 picks due to the nature of his injury.
NHL Projection: Top six forward. Equal parts shooter and distributor. Deployed in all situations.
Bear suffered an unfortunate season-ending injury when he went down with a lacerated achilles at the beginning of March. He had contributed 40G-42A to that stage of his season and averaged over 16 minutes per game of ice time.
Bear is the kind of player who can be relied upon to score timely goals and provide reliable detail, and tenacity, in all three zones. The Silvertips are a team that plays an “in your face” style of hockey and Bear fits the mold. I appreciate he is always in the fight and uber competitive every night.
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Based on the consensus view of Bear, he projects right in the ballpark of where the Pittsburgh Penguins will be picking at No. 11 (and possibly No. 12) at the draft in June. Looking around at numerous mock drafts and those tuned into the draft process, there doesn’t seem to be much smoke around the Penguins being in on Bear, especially if there are other options available to them come pick 11 later this month. That can all change quickly as picks are made on draft night, so a player like Bear being ranked in the vicinity of where the Penguins will be selecting means he will be a name to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
No one knows what the Penguins plans are for the draft except for Kyle Dubas and his staff. A lot could hinge on what the New York Rangers decide to do with the No. 12 pick, which means the Penguins draft board could be expanded if the Rangers transfer that pick over. It’s very difficult to project how it will play out leading up to the Penguins at No. 11 and there are certainly some concerns regarding Bear and his injury, but scouts and analysts alike speak highly of Bear and his skill set and like the chances of his game translating to the NHL level down the road.