Justin Williams will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st and to date his future looks pretty cloudy. Williams, 33, may be at a crossroads in his career as the LA Kings look to squeeze in numerous players despite minimal room under the salary cap. What does Williams want to do at this stage of his career? He loves the LA Kings, but he’s open to playing for a winner.
Via Sportsnet, Williams discussed his future:
“At this point, I love L.A. If I re-sign here, great. I’ll be part of a great team moving forward.
But if not, I’m going to try to restart my career somewhere else, turn the page and try to win as many hockey games as I can. I’m at a point in my career where it’s not all about money, it’s about winning for me.”
History has taught us to dismiss any player who says it’s not all about the money. With that being said, it’s clear Williams isn’t opposed to playing for a new team if it gives him a chance to win. He definitely enjoys LA and the Kings, but he has been around the league long enough to know that change happens, especially under a relatively tight salary cap.
It’s believed that Williams’ ideal salary won’t fit into the Kings’ plans. That’s rumored to be a three or four-year deal in the neighborhood of $4 to $5 million a year. The Kings can’t squeeze that amount or term in, barring other moves on the roster.
Realistically, Williams will be skating with a new team unless the two sides are able to significantly change their position. Plenty of teams would be willing to give Williams a shot considering he has flirted with the 20-goal mark for the past two seasons.
