Meet Michael Ward, Vancouver's Latest Prospect Addition

I know Twitter is either an indispensable tool for some or the bane of existence for others, but from the draft to July 1st and all through the summer it's been a fantastic way to get instant information, though not always credible. Therein lies the trick.

So, with that in mind,@BoltProspect had this to share:

Defenseman Michael Ward, an 07 7th round pick of TB who wasn't signed this spring, will attend the Vancouver Canucks' camp next month.

I was going to label this unconfirmed, but Ward's player profile on Tampa's website is down and this link from NHL.com works fine and helps to confirm BoltProspect's tweet.

Ward wasn't given an entry level contract by June 1 so I don't know yet if Vancouver signed him or extended a camp invite. I suspect the latter. Regardless, the move is certainly in line with what Gillis has spent a summer doing and not a bad thing either considering the shallow pool of defensive prospects Vancouver has. Ward would naturally be a long shot but aren't most prospects this time of year anyway?

A bit more on Ward:

• Hometown of Shippagan, NB (that should ring familiar to you)
• Height: 6'2''
• Weight: 180 lbs
• Selected by Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 7 (#197) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft
• Had his best season last year (7 goals, 27 assists) in 65 games split between Lewiston and Cape Breton of the QMJHL

Detailed stats are below: