SAN JOSE -- Tommy Wingels is never going to be a player that’s judged on points alone. The Illinois native has established himself as an honest, hard-working forward that will finish his checks and never take a shift off. With 114 hits, Wingels leads the Sharks and is 12th in the NHL.

Still, his production so far this season has been disappointing. Wingels has managed just three goals and nine points in 36 games, along with a -12 rating. That puts him on pace for about 21 points, well below his 36 points last season and 38 points in 2013-14.

At 27-years-old, he should be entering the prime of his career. Hasn’t happened.

On Wednesday against the Flyers, Wingels was once again kept off of the scoresheet. He did, however, drop his gloves and fight Philadelphia’s Chris VandeVelde after the Philly forward blew up Dainius Zubrus along the wall. He later earned a coincidental roughing minor with the Flyers’ Jakub Voracek, taking the talented scorer off of the ice in the third period of a tie game. In the first period, he got under the skin of the Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds, too.

Afterwards, coach Pete DeBoer called it one of Wingels’ best games of the year.

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“Obviously the production offensively isn’t there, but when it’s not there you have to find other ways to impact the game,” Wingels said.

On Monday against Colorado, Wingels tied for the team-high with five shots on goal and generated some of the Sharks’ best scoring chances. Perhaps his offense will start coming around, too.

That’s what he’s hoping, anyway.

“I think the last couple games the scoring chances are increasing, so I’ve got to be happy about that, but I’ve just got to stick with it and hopefully at some point the damn will break and they will start pouring in,” he said.

According to DeBoer, Wingels should be a beneficiary of Logan Couture’s return to the lineup, and the subsequent depth that provides. In practice on Thursday and Friday, Wingels was slotted with Tomas Hertl and Matt Nieto on what would be considered the team’s third line, so that’s where he’ll likely begin Saturday’s game against Winnipeg.

“[Wingels], probably as much as anyone, has been affected by the loss of Couture,” DeBoer said. “With the four centermen now healthy, I think he’s going to have the ability to be productive when he gets out on the ice.

“I’m not worried about the goals and assists. He brings some things to the table for us that are unique. He hops over the boards with energy, he finishes his hits, [and] you know you’re on the ice against him.”

In previous seasons, Wingels tended to get off to strong starts while his goal production dried up late. Last season, he scored just four goals in the final 28 games.

Now that the calendar has flipped to 2016, perhaps Wingels can reverse that trend and start scoring on a more regular basis in the second half.

“For whatever reason, I’ve always been a streaky player offensively,” he said. “I’ve gone through these streaks where the production isn’t there, and it’s certainly very frustrating as a player. I can’t figure out why that is. But, hopefully it comes around soon. I’m trying out there, and trying to get to the hard areas where the goals are scored.”

DeBoer said: “I like where his game is at right now at the important time of the year.”