If not for an injury, there is a good chance that Carter Bear could be a top ten or even top five selection in this year's upcoming draft. Just before the WHL playoffs, Bear suffered a partial tear of the Achilles tendon. Granted, something like that should and could make Philadelphia fans shiver. After all, we saw what happened to Ryan Howard when he was sapped of his strength due to an Achilles tear.
Bear is a beast of a scorer. He scored 40 goals this year for the Everett Silvertips and possibly could've come close to 50 had the injury not happened. He did have surgery on the partial tear and, according to reports, he is already back to skating; no contact obviously. He claims he'll be ready for the World Junior Summer Showcase this July, but we don't know if that will happen or not.
The Hockey Writers Justin Giampietro said this of Bear:
"Bear’s instincts stand out. He times his puck battle initiations well and often locates the right places on the ice to become a scoring threat. Creating space is one of Bear’s main calling cards—his instincts, as well as terrific vision, make that happen. He has a nasty side to his game, and it takes a certain kind of player who’s constantly willing to sacrifice their body, but it’s more so the brains that allow him to be so effective.
Shifting gears, Bear likes to be involved defensively. This is an area where his instincts shine, too. He closes scoring lanes before they open and leans on his teammates when necessary. If he sees a path to getting the puck out of the zone, he’s not afraid to get aggressive and pressure the puck carrier. Bear got some good experience on Everett’s penalty kill, and he had some success there."
Bear has a lot of what the Flyers are looking for in a center. He has experience playing on the left wing if he needs to be shifted over. That makes him a fairly valuable player. Before the injury, NHL Scouting had him ranked as the 10th-best North American skater.
Because of the injury, I wouldn't draft him sixth overall. We've had too many recent cases of grabbing an injury-prone player (Nolan Patrick) to afford that. However, if he falls to 23rd, it's worth taking a gamble on him at that time. If it appears someone may grab him ahead of the Flyers in the mid to late 10s, it might even be worth it to package the 23rd pick with another pick and move up to select him.
Before any of this, it might behoove the Flyers to send a trainer with the scouts and view his progress. If he is progressing this quickly, it could be that he has been rushed and will face a more devastating injury to come. If he is that healthy, it might be wise to select him and come out with a top prospect.