Carolina Hurricanes: Justin Williams needs to play one more season
Carolina Hurricanes captain Justin Williams is considering retirement after 18 seasons, but the veteran forward has every reason to come back for one more year.
Justin Williams is an absolute enigma. In a sport where veterans seem to be taking a major backseat to the younger, faster NHL player, Williams has continued to prove himself as a consistent and reliable forward for the Carolina Hurricanes.
Williams was such a major piece to their puzzle that he maintained the captaincy heading into this offseason. What makes that so special is the Hurricanes are coming off one of their best seasons in a long time and there is plenty of hype surrounding their young group of talented players.
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The Hurricanes finished last season with a 46-29-7 record and were the first wild card team out of the Eastern Conference. Not only did the beat the Washington Capitals in seven games, but they went on to sweep the New York Islanders before getting swept by the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals. The Hurricanes came out of nowhere last season, and there is a good chance they will repeat their success in 2019-20.
Who better to help lead the Hurricanes after last season than Williams himself? Despite all the success last season, he is still considering retirement after 18 NHL seasons. As per the Hurricanes, Williams has yet to decide on his NHL future and remains torn between retirement and coming back for another year.
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Williams Can Still Hang with the Best
Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen are the young guns ready to take flight. They both finished as the Hurricanes’ top two scorers, with Aho becoming a superstar in the process. He finished with 30 goals and 83 points while playing in all 82 games.
Meanwhile, Teravainen scored 21 goals and finished with 76 points in 81 games. The Hurricanes third-highest scorer, you ask? Look no further than Williams. He finished with 23 goals and 53 points in 82 games.
What is especially amazing about Williams is his durability. Dating back to 2011-12, which would still put him in his 30s, he has missed just three games. In the NHL, that is simply unheard of.
On top of all that, his ability to turn it up in the second half of the season is what has made him such a great performer when it matters. Williams has been a part of winning teams throughout his career and this is just another reason for the veteran forward to come back for one more season.
The Hurricanes are young, but very talented. They have beefed up their defense tremendously, and have several budding forwards ready to hit their prime. Williams was the glue that held them together last season, and with the Hurricanes ready to take another leap, there is no better player to help captain this team. He is a proven winner in the NHL and helps boast tremendous leadership both on and off the ice.
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The Hurricanes could not hand pick a better captain given their history and their future, but in this situation, it is all in the hands of the player. Hopefully we get one more chance to see Williams lead the Hurricanes into the playoffs and beyond.