Washington Capitals: Fan Guide to 2015-2016 (Part 2)
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Williams – #14
Position: Right Wing
Adding three-time Stanley Cup Champion and former Los Angeles King Justin Williams to the Washington Capitals roster was THE biggest move of the offseason for me. He’s a 34-year old veteran that processes information rapidly on the fly. He can play special teams. He scores clutch goals when it matters. Did I mention he’s helped three teams win the Stanley Cup? Those three teams had a lot less firepower than the Washington Capitals currently have.
SEE ALSO: Justin Williams: Best Deal of the Off-Season
Williams is a guy that embodies the principles of head coach Barry Trotz’s system. His puck possession stats are outlandishly good. Simply put, Williams is a hard guy to take the puck away from. He battles along the boards for loose pucks. He sets up the Washington Capitals offense when entering the enemies’ zone. He can zip wrist shots past opposing goalies faster than they can suspect. How can you not love that?
He’s known as “Mr. Game Seven” for his clutch playoff prowess. He tends to humbly defer on that moniker in interviews. The hockey world certainly took notice when he won the Conn Smythe Trophy for being the most valuable player in the playoffs for the 2014 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings. His playoff pedigree speaks for itself.
Williams seems like a genuinely awesome dude. He has two adorable children, a daughter (born in 2011) named Jade and a son (born in 2008) named Jaxon that Washington Capitals fans probably owe an appreciable amount of gratitude towards. Jaxon, as father Justin Williams revealed back in July, is a fan of Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and lobbied his father to sign with Washington over his many suitors. Williams revealed the tidbit to the media just after signing with the Washington Capitals.
I think Williams will be HUGE for the Washington Capitals this year. Not just because of his reputation and accolades in L.A. and Carolina, but for the type of responsible, difficult-to-play-against player that he is. Having him on our second or third line this year makes that line serious regardless of whomever his line mates are.
Little known fact: Williams matriculated from the same minor league hockey ranks as Tom Wilson in the OHL Plymouth Whalers, just several years earlier in 1999-2000. Williams was originally drafted in the 1st round (28th overall) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. He was a victim to a system of rotating coaches in Philly over his first four seasons in the league before being shipped to the Carolina Hurricanes. I’d like to make them both regret his departure this season during their matchups with the Capitals this season.
Speaking of guys who wouldn’t mind burning their former teams…
Next: The Ice Cheetah