Justin Williams A Perfect Fit With Washington Capitals

Jan 17, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Justin Williams (14) acknowledges the fans for being named first star of the game after the Capitals

The lone big-name signing of the Capitals’ 2015 offseason is going above and beyond with his new team.

“Mr. Game Seven.” Someone with that nickname would presumably be a perfect fit with a team that finds themselves consistently playing their final game of the year in the final game of a seven-game series. Washington Capitals‘ general manager Brian MacLellan had been a part of that over and over, and nicknames aside, Justin Williams appeared to be a perfect fit for a team looking to take that next step.

Coming off of a largely impressive first season under new head coach Barry Trotz, there were several departing players that would need to be replaced. MacLellan, who had made two of the biggest free agent signings of the 2014 offseason in defensemen Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen, knew that adding top-six help was the next priority for a Capitals team with the best goal scorer in the world in Alex Ovechkin and one of the best playmakers in Nicklas Backstrom.

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A veteran right winger who has won three Stanley Cups in his lengthy and successful NHL career, Williams was known to be a highly sought-after free agent in a relatively thin crop. This would generally point to one or more teams throwing the big bucks at said player, making an important decision that much easier. But after parting ways with a Los Angeles Kings team with which he had won two of his championships, money wouldn’t be the deciding factor.

In a somewhat shocking move as the first day of free agency turned to late night, Williams signed a 2 year, $6.5 million contract with the Washington Capitals. The Caps were one of a handful of teams in on the forward, some of which offered more money than Washington, and it turned out there were several reasons for his decision. Williams’ presence in Washington’s lineup provided a win-win for both player and team. The Capitals had acquired a much needed top-six forward, and Williams would have the chance to play on a line with one of the most skilled up-and-coming players in the league, Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Justin Williams’ son also appeared to have a say in the matter.

"“Daddy,” he said, “if we don’t go back to L.A., you should play with Ovechkin, because he’s the best.”-Jaxon Williams, son of Justin, via The Washington Post"

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Signing Williams would prove to be the first of two major moves of the offseason for the Washington Capitals, the second of which being the acquisition of forward T.J. Oshie from the St. Louis Blues. A tad past the halfway mark of Williams’ first season in red, white and blue, he has been better than advertised. He scored his second career hat trick on Sunday against the New York Rangers, an accomplishment that held the most weight to Williams because of the “tricky, tricky” song that was played as the hats were cleaned up.

The hat trick has been the pinnacle of his time in Washington, but the Washington Capitals have almost certainly gotten more out of Justin Williams than anyone could have expected. Known to be a positive influence in the locker room and a more-than-capable player on the ice, providing a veteran presence along with 40 points or so would have been very realistic expectations for the 34-year-old.

Well, here we are, 46 games into the season, and Williams is almost there. He has 16 goals and 17 assists, good for fourth on the Washington Capitals with 33 points, and has developed outstanding chemistry with Kuznetsov, the player he was slotted to play alongside all along. Kuznetsov’s emergence as one of the game’s top players has clearly helped Williams. His crafty hands paired alongside his tremendous ability to win battles along the boards plays a perfect complement to the ultra-skilled Russian pivot, often simultaneously creating chances for themselves or their third linemate, whether that is Andre Burakovsky or Marcus Johansson.

His steadying presence in the organization has coincided with the best season that the franchise has ever seen. He has been a key factor in what the longest-tenured Capital, Brooks Laich, says is the best team he has played on. His ability to play in any situation provides even further value to his team.

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He has played beyond expectations, and the playoffs aren’t even here yet. With the postseason all but a guarantee, the Washington Capitals will hope that his great start carries through the entire season and that his usual magic appears in the postseason once again. For the fans sake, however, maybe the Capitals can just win series’ in less than seven games.