Report: Hurricanes essentially give up on Ethan Bear

According to a report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman last night, the Carolina Hurricanes have put defenseman Ethan Bear on the trade block and have even encouraged him to speak with others teams ahead of the opening of free agency.

From Friedman:

The 24 year old defenseman was of course traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Hurricanes last offseason in exchange for forward Warren Foegle. Bear has struggled to fit in with the Hurricanes given their absolutely stacked defense corps. He put up just five goals and 14 points in 58 games with the Hurricanes this past season and was a healthy scratch for the majority of their playoff run.

In any case, he's an intriguing player with some untapped potential. I could see a retooling or a rebuilding team taking a chance of Bear in exchange for a mid round draft pick. You listening, Steve Yzerman?