Justin Williams hitting free market as he nears a return?!

The Canes are cap-strapped at the moment!

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
Justin Williams hitting free market as he nears a return?!
Zuma Press

We have been patiently waiting to see what veteran forward Justin Williams will do as he stepped away from the game last summer to take some time to think about his future. While he has not considered retirement, he did not make it clear if a return to the ice would take place in the 2019-20, but fans - especially in Carolina - remain hopeful. 

On Tuesday night, Pierre LeBrun gave a crucial update on William’s future, stating however that while the Hurricanes is his team of choice to make a comeback with, Carolina might be tight on money to make it happen. Here is what LeBrun had to say on Insider Trading on TSN: 

“He could return, it’s not 100 per cent decided at all but he’s been ramping up his skating, skating by himself the last three to four weeks. And there has been talk back and forth between his camp and the Carolina Hurricanes. That certainly would be the team of choice, the frontrunner for Justin Williams if he decides to come back. However, the Hurricanes are tight against the cap. Remember they had the Patrick Marleau buyout and they signed Jake Gardiner in camp. They can’t sign him to that big of a deal. It will be interesting to me because I believe that his camp would also be willing to hear from other teams. Again, the priority is Carolina, but there could be other teams that reach out and make this interesting.”

While we know Williams would prefer to stick in Carolina - as he mentioned in the past due to family reasons - we bet he could get interesting offers on the market. 

Williams has played 1244 NHL games and collected 312 goals, 474 assists and 786 points in his career.  He tallied 23 goals and 30 assists last year for 53 points in Carolina. Williams also has three Stanley Cup rings and a Conn Smythe award to his name.

We bet there will be interest out there for Mister Game Seven!

Source: TSN