The Detroit Red Wings can only cage a Bear so long

There are countless reasons to be disappointed in the Detroit Red Wings on ice product (and baffling indecisions off the ice). 

From dragging their heels with Simon Edvinsson to pairing Moritz Seider and Ben Chiarot together for the millionth time -- a pairing that ends in pain and suffering for both Seider and viewers alike -- the team is struggling to make an impact.

It’s like going for one last bite of the strawberry Chex marshmallow treat. We all know it’s a bad idea. We see the train wreck ahead. If only someone had the authority to make it stop.

The Red Wings can only delay Carter Bear’s NHL debut for so long

While the incredible lineup decisions continue, the offense is struggling. 

People can (and should) throw statistics out to show how the Red Wings have improved from last season from a mathematical standpoint. At the same time, Detroit cannot win games if they don’t score. No matter how good the numbers or theories look on paper, the proof has to show up in the pudding.

Fortunately, the Wings have a few options on the west side of the state of Michigan.

Carter Bear and Jesse Kiiskinen top that list. My colleague, Tom Mitsos, has already detailed Kiiskinen’s impact to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Kiiskinen would be a great option to recall for the Red Wings after a slow offensive start to the season. Since he has already played in a professional league in Finland (and one of the top professional hockey leagues in the world), he might have an edge over Bear for the next winger that is recalled from Grand Rapids.

Even with all the offensive pizzazz Kiiskinen is showing, Bear has drawn appreciation from fans, media, and teammates alike. 

If Michael Brandsegg-Nygård is a bully (according to Red Wings head coach, Todd McLellan), Bear is an unyielding menace to opposing teams. 

Although he has hiccups from time to time, he’s committed to his two-way game. Thhis is the biggest difference between Bear and too many of the jerseys taking the ice in the Winged Wheel.

He’s not a blackhole offensively dressed in two-way play clothing. Too many times Red Wings fans are told that Player X is great defensively or Player Y skates hard minutes when in reality they are hemmed in their own zone. 

They can’t figure out the opponent’s cycle to get the puck (or know where the puck will be next). If they get lucky and actually get a puck, they aren’t quite sure who they’re passing to, where they’re supposed to skate it out or how they are actually supposed to break out of their own zone. 

Systems changing every season doesn’t help. The high roster turnover doesn’t help, either.

However, players who want to make an impact on the ice will find a way. 

Bear's aggression makes him a great fit

Bear doesn’t always choose the right play or make a good decision on the ice. Those questionable choices don’t hold him back, though, or slow him down in trying to correct his mistakes. 

As soon as he loses a puck, he does everything in his power to get it back, all while recovering from an injury and slow start. He has no excuse for a lack of production -- he just works harder. 

When Bear speaks, he seems to have unique perspective on the game. There’s no sense of entitlement or that he’s owed anything. Instead, he takes his job as seriously as any player I’ve witnessed.

Bear was one of a few prospects who stayed in Detroit most of the summer training. His hope (like so many Wings fans) was hto make the opening night lineup. As Alanis Morrisette so eloquently sings, it’s a little too ironic that things didn’t go the way Bear planned. Unfortunately, an injury in the preseason set back his arrival in the NHL.

Three games into his professional career, Bear has a goal and an assist with, surprisingly, no penalty minutes and a -1 rating. 

In his draft year (2025), the Elite Prospects Guide shares:

“Bear leaves nothing to chance. No matter the size of the opponent, the score, or the situation, he enters every battle with speed and never concedes an inch. Bear’s playoffs-ever-ynight mentality also powers his offensive game. He powers trough contact to get to the net, relentlessly battles in the slot for tips and rebounds, and dominates play from the hashmarks and in.” 

In his draft class, Bear was said to be the most competitive (or tied at the top of it). His hunger for success has only grown, and he remains as competitive as ever. 

Since he was drafted his skating has improved significantly—a big question mark in his draft year (aside from the achilles injury, of course). His offensive capabilities at the NHL-level were an area of concern as well. His play in the AHL (even with a small the sample size) has hushed those concerns. 

Where Bear goes from here

Bear continues to build on his underrated shot and playmaking skills, while continuing to crash the net. Much like Brandsegg-Nygård and the Red Wings’ Swedish juggernaut, Eddie Genborg, Bear’s internal compass directs all of his activity to the opponent’s net.

Like Brandsegg-Nygård, Bear doesn't need inspiration to play effective hockey like so many of the players already in Detroit. Bear is the inspiration. He, like Brandsegg-Nygård, pushes teammates, through his hardwork and commitment to playing the game the right way, to do the same.

Realistically, the Detroit Red Wings are going to struggle to generate offense for probably one-to-three weeks. Then, if they are still struggling to score, they might think of swapping players from the Grand Rapids Griffins.

At that point, Bear and Kiiskinen will have a bit more time to get settled into their roles (though, how much seasoning is needed for either remains to be seen).

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