Blue Jackets deal for Williams
The Blue Jackets have acquired forward Jason Williams from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for defenseman Clay Wilson and a sixth-round draft pick
Williams has played mostly on the right wing, but he can play center, too. He's a right shot and can play on the power play point. In 41 games with the Thrashers, he has seven goals, 11 assists and a minus-9 rating.
Williams is a talented player, but really hasn't worked out in Atlanta. With so little talent to work with, they've given him junk linemates for the most part. The Thrashers' power play has been one of the few strong points this season, but Williams has been buried on the second unit, which hasn't been productive at all.
Columbus, meanwhile, has been horrific with the man advantage this year, regardless of who's out there, and Williams will get plenty of ice with quality linemates on the top unit. He did a nice job in Chicago playing the point, and the Blue Jackets are really light on puck movers on the back end, so expect him to reprise that role and start putting up points immediately.
For a team in the thick of the playoff race (and unable to take on major salaries), this is a good move.
On the Atlanta side: I saw Wilson play last year in person in Columbus, and he's got some nice tools. I think he'll be an NHL player in the near future, and given where the Thrashers are in the standings, it makes sense to build for down the line.
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With all the talk of the Jackets looking for a right-shooting d-man for their PP, I guess this move fills that need. Not a d-man, but a right-shooting guy with plenty of experience on the point. Should be a good acquisition if he can regain his touch getting out of Atlanta.
by Malurous on Jan 14, 2009 6:36 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

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