Justin Williams sees a bright future in Washington

Oh my, Washington Capitals.  Scoring both Justin Williams and TJ Oshie in free agency, along with existing superstar Alex Ovechkin, makes them one of the most potent offenses in the NHL.

Williams is excited to be in Washington.  And for good reason.

He is hoping to win his 4th Stanley Cup with his 3rd team.  (Previously, he won in 2006 with the Hurricanes and 2012 and 2014 with the LA Kings.)

Our favorite nickname of Williams is Mr. Game 7.  He has played in seven playoff Game 7s with his team going 7-0.  And his last playoff performance resulted in the 2014 Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP.

The Washington Post reports that Williams is doing just fine with Caps:

It was his first day visiting his new office, so Justin Williams acted as anyone else would, save perhaps the flip-flops worn for the occasion. The new Washington Capitals forward had spent the past six seasons on the opposite coast playing for the Los Angeles Kings, which meant six years had passed since he last wrapped his head around meeting new colleagues, navigating new facilities and hunting for houses in an unfamiliar town.

“Shaking everybody’s hands,” he said, “pretending I know their names.”

Brought in Friday morning for a warp-speed acclimation to the organization, Williams had made the short trip here from his offseason home in New Jersey. There, eight days ago, deep into the first night of free agency, he signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract, immediately hailed as a bargain for a three-time Stanley Cup winner and storied Game 7 performer.

When Williams, who will turn 34 years old not long after the start of his 14th season , entered his first tour through unrestricted free agency, he surveyed the landscape and quickly identified Washington as a potential landing spot. At first, he thought returning to the Kings seemed realistic, but a tight salary cap situation turned his attention elsewhere.

In the Capitals, Williams found comfort and familiarity. He knew several players only tangentially, winning gold at the 2007 world championships with Jason Chimera and appearing in an all-star game beside Alex Ovechkin, but after Los Angeles’s season ended outside of the playoffs for the first time in his tenure there, he watched the postseason and took notice of Washington’s style. He would later tell Coach Barry Trotz it seemed similar to the Kings squads that won Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014.

That comment to Trotz could turn into quite the prognostication if a Cup arrives in DC.

Photo courtesy of Steve and Julie.