The Washington Capitals signing of three-time Stanley Cup-winner Justin Williams was lauded from the outset this offseason. Williams is a possession-driving force with a strong two-way game who should help a strong puck-possession Caps team become even better at controlling the disc and the pace of play in the coming 2015-16 season. While Williams' signing was praised for his expected contributions on the ice, it may also be that his contract, two years, $3.25 million AAV, is what sets the signing apart from every other free agent deal in the NHL this offseason.
"I thought that was an excellent signing," an Eastern Conference executive told Craig Custance of ESPN. "The character, what he's done in the playoffs is tremendous. The term and the money are great."
Rob Vollman of ESPN conferred with 28 of the league's "leading names from the hockey analytics community" and arrived at the conclusion that based on value, term and statistical history, Williams' deal was far and away the best of the class this year.
As Vollman notes, Williams' previous team, the Los Angeles Kings, attempted a full 6.8 percent more even-strength shots with Williams on the ice than off. It's the third-highest boost, behind only Boston's Patrice Bergeron and Vancouver's Daniel Sedin.
Along with Williams, the Caps traded for T.J. Oshie and re-signed Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson, presumably setting them up for a season of incredibly strong possession, which, in turn, should lead to an increase in goals and decrease in time spent playing from behind.
Even more impressive than the additions, is the cost. All four players mentioned above make up only $14.1 million of the Washington salary cap for 2015-16. As always, the Capitals ultimate success or failure this year rests with Alexander Ovechkin, but there's no denying that the team has gotten stronger and deeper behind him, potentially lessening the need for Ovie to do it all, especially come playoff and crunch time.
