Joel Ward Exceeding Expectations With San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks appear to be a much more balanced team thus far in 2015-16, and one of the major pieces has been Joel Ward. Ward, who is widely considered to be a good, honest player, is exactly the kind of presence the Sharks have been lacking in recent years.
Thus far, Ward’s play on the ice has exceeded all expectations as he leads San Jose in goals (five) and points (eight) through the Sharks first eight games. Ward has been a permanent fixture on San Jose’s second-line, and he’s provided a physical presence that has not existed on that line in quite some time.
Throughout most his career, Ward has been seen as more of a grinding-type player rather than a goal-scoring machine. However, his past two seasons were his best in terms of finding the back of the net as he registered 24 goals during the 2013-14 season and 19 goals last year.
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He’s continued that production into the early going this season, highlighted by his hat trick performance against the Carolina Hurricanes in San Jose’s 5-2 victory that snapped their three-game losing streak. Ward is a leader by example, constantly attacking the net and making his presence known in the blue paint.
Also, Ward is a great locker-room guy which was needed after it appeared the Sharks were a fractured group at different points last year. You could see the camaraderie that exists within this outfit as his teammates were trying to find Ward so he could finish off his hat trick, and then later, showered him with some of those hats during his media scrum afterwards.
It was a great signing by general manager Doug Wilson to bring in Ward during free agency. While Ward doesn’t blow you away with any one specific trait, it’s his all-around game that makes him such a valuable piece of the puzzle here in San Jose. The addition of Ward has manifested itself on the ice as the Sharks’ second line of Ward, Patrick Marleau and now Tomas Hertl (same could be said when Logan Couture was healthy) has been San Jose’s best and most consistent line all year.
Ward has validated the faith that Wilson and head coach Peter DeBoer has shown by placing him in a top-six role. He’s provided the kind of depth necessary to succeed over the course of an 82-game season, plus he’s produced when it matters most during the playoffs. In 53 career postseason games, Ward has amassed 14 goals and 21 assists with a plus-eight rating.
Overall, Ward has done more than anyone could have possibly imagined with the Sharks thus far. While he probably won’t keep up this torrid pace over the course of the entire season, Ward could be in line for a career year in San Jose. He’s exceeded any and all expectations to this point, and look for that trend to continue into the foreseeable future.
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