On Friday, Sharks GM Doug Wilson released an update on the health of veteran forward Joel Ward.
“Joel was dealing with a minor shoulder injury last season and, once the season ended, had a choice to either rehab the injury or to have a surgical procedure.
“Joel opted to proceed wot the surgical procedure, which was completed successfully, and he is expected to be ready for the start of the 2017 season.”
This might explain why the 36-year-old had such a tough season offensively. Ward scored just 10 goals and 29 points in 78 games, a significant decrease from his first season in San Jose, when he scored 21 and 43.
This season promises to be a big one for Ward. He’s heading into the last of a three-year, $9.825 million deal -- one that carries a $3.275M average annual cap hit -- and could be exposed in the upcoming expansion draft.
That could be interesting, because Vegas GM George McPhee is very familiar with Ward from their time together in Washington.