Joel Ward came to the Washington Capitals in the summer of 2011 as a free agent and he may have been one of their best free agent acquisitions that would pay off in the long haul.
Ward wasn’t drafted but was signed by the Minnesota Wild at age 26. A late bloomer, yes but as the old saying goes better late than never. He had three productive seasons as a member of the Nashville Predators before the Caps signed him.
He didn’t score many goals his first season with the Caps. He only had six along with 12 assists for 18 points but it was what he did in the playoffs that will always be remembered around the city.