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New Jersey Devils: Binghamton Signs Familiar Face In Brian Ward

By Nick Villano

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 27: A pile of pucks during the GEICO NHL Save Streak during the 2018 GEICO NHL All-Star Skills Competition at Amalie Arena on January 27, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 27: A pile of pucks during the GEICO NHL Save Streak during the 2018 GEICO NHL All-Star Skills Competition at Amalie Arena on January 27, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The Binghamton Devils signed goal scorer Brian Ward late in the offseason on Thursday. He’s been in the New Jersey Devils system a while, and could do nicely at the next level.

One doesn’t expect many signings after training camp starts, but that’s exactly what happened when Brian Ward signed with the New Jersey Devils AHL affiliate. Ward played for the Binghamton Devils on a loan before, but has spent the past two seasons with the Devils ECHL affiliate the Adirondack Thunder.

Ward led the Thunder last year with 30 goals. The year prior, he also led the team with 27 goals. It’s safe to say he made the best of his situation.

Despite being a goal scorer like he is, it’s taking him a long time to get to this point. Ward is already 26 years old. He struggled in his stint with St. Lawrence University, forcing him to try and re-establish his career elsewhere.

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This signing is interesting. The Binghamton Devils don’t have much room to fit more forwards. They had a enough to fill a roster coming into the offseason, then added Yegor Sharangovich, Kurtis Gabriel, Tariq Hammond, Ryan Schmeltzer, Michael McLeod (likely) and Eric Tangradi. This roster is stacked when it comes to an AHL club.

Now, Ward is a low-risk signing that could pay dividends for Binghamton. Up to this point, Ward hasn’t been able to translate his ECHL scoring to success on the AHL level. However, this is as good as time as any to give him a true shot. He has confidence coming off two straight good seasons in the ECHL. He may be able to bring that confidence to the AHL.

Ward is not a player to fight for a spot in the NHL. He could be a player that does well for the Binghamton Devils for a long time. That may not be what most fans want, but organizations really like having veterans in the minors. It can help the younger players learn from a guy who’s been fighting his whole career.

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