Sharks' Joel Ward: Benched for postseason

Ward was absent from the lineup for the entire 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Ward -- who returned from a shoulder injury for the last six regular-season games -- couldn't crack the lineup for any of the Sharks' 10 postseason outings. As a result of logging just 52 contests this year, the winger failed to reach the 20-point mark for only the second time in his 10-year NHL career. The veteran will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and could decide to retire if San Jose opts not to re-sign him.