Off the heels of acquiring winger Jordan Eberle for John Tavares’ first line, the New York Islanders are not done looking for some added offensive firepower.
Newsday’s Arthur Staple reported on Thursday that the Islanders have reached out to free-agent right winger Justin Williams and added their name to a “long list of suitors.”
Williams is 35 years old but has continued to churn out top-six-forward-worthy seasons. In the last two seasons, he’s scored 22 and 24 goals, respectively, for a Washington Capitals team that was laden with attacking prowess.
Before his time in the nation’s capital, Williams spent six-plus seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, winning a pair of Stanley Cups while excelling in the tensest situations. Prior to his time with the Capitals, Williams played in seven Game 7’s during postseason play. He recorded seven goals and 14 points, the most ever, while his team never lost those deciding games.
Hence his nickname, “Mr. Game 7”:
That kind of veteran experience in leadership on offense could work wonders for a team that has become reliant on some of their younger players behind Tavares, who is still only 26 years old and has never played past the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Islanders already sport a pair of aging wingers in 31-year-old Andrew Ladd and 38-year-old Jason Chimera, but neither have as large a track record in the postseason that Williams.
