Flyers free-agent target: RW Justin Williams

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Each day from now until July 1, the day free agency begins, Tom Dougherty and Tim Riday will profile some of the NHL's top impending free agents and project their likelihood of signing with the Flyers.

Justin Williams, right wing
Age: 33
Height: 6-1
Weight: 189
Last team: Los Angeles Kings
2014-15 cap hit: $3.65 million

Scouting report
A three-time Stanley Cup champion, Williams has found success in the NHL because of his grit and elusiveness. He's a warrior along the boards and excels in small areas. He also owns an accurate shot, is deceptively quick and can hold his own in the defensive zone.

Williams began his professional career when he was selected by the Flyers in the first round (28th overall) of the 2000 NHL draft and spent four seasons in Philadelphia. He struggled to live up to expectations during his tenure with the orange and black. He missed significant time because of several injuries and, at a young age, also had to adapt to the varying systems of three different head coaches — Craig Ramsay, Bill Barber and Ken Hitchcock.

On Jan. 20, 2004, the Flyers decided to part ways with Williams, trading him to Carolina for defenseman Danny Markov. In his first full season with the Hurricanes in 2005-06, Williams broke out for 31 goals and 45 assists and added 18 more points in the playoffs to help the club earn its first Stanley Cup.

In all, Williams spent parts of five seasons with Carolina before being dealt to Los Angeles on March 5, 2009, for forward Patrick O'Sullivan and a second-round pick.

The veteran forward has been a vital cog in the Kings' offense for the past seven years. He helped the team win two Stanley Cups and took home the Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP of the playoffs) after registering nine goals and 25 points during the 2014 championship run.

Williams has also developed into one of the most clutch players in the league. He's appeared in seven Game 7s in his career, guiding his teams to a perfect 7-0 record in those tilts. He currently shares a playoff record with Glenn Anderson for most Game 7 goals (seven) and has the outright record for most Game 7 points with 14.

Dougherty's projection
If the Flyers were in the position to be playing in Game 7s, then I'd fully be on board in bringing back Williams. They are not in that position. They need wingers, though. So you have to think about Williams simply because he plays the position.

He might do a lot of the things the Flyers need, but he'll cost too much and he'll be turning 34. The Flyers need to bring in younger wingers who can be with them for multiple seasons. They don't have the wingers here or coming up whom a player like Williams can help develop. They are stuck with R.J. Umberger and Vinny Lecavalier.

Whereas a player like Chris Stewart could break out and be a part of the team's plan going forward, Williams would be a short-term band aid. Ron Hextall might have connections with Williams, but he's building something long term. I think Williams will be talked about, but he'll ultimately be passed on because he doesn't fit in the long-term plan. Pass.

Riday's projection
For those of you cringing at the idea of the Flyers bringing in yet another former player, hear me out.

Williams is actually a good fit for the organization right now. He plays a sound two-way game and can move up and down the lineup. Though he mostly skates on the right side of the ice, he could easily be a nice complement to Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek on the top line. If not, he can fill a more defensive-minded role with Sean Couturier and Matt Read. Who knows, maybe a line of Brayden Schenn centering Wayne Simmonds and Williams could help fix some of the team's secondary scoring woes.

Simply put, signing Williams would give new head coach Dave Hakstol options. Hakstol plans to implement a structured style. He'll hold his forwards accountable on both ends and expects them to play a strong transition game.

Sounds like Williams, eh? The 33-year-old has been a model of consistency over the past five years. You know what you're going to get from him. Excluding the lockout-shortened 2013 season, he has scored 18, 19, 22 and 22 goals, respectively. He was also asked to kill penalties during that time, and sometimes matched up against the opposition's best players.

And if you're worried about his durability, don't fret. The once oft-injured Williams has missed just one game since the beginning of the 2011-12 campaign.

Then there's Hextall. The Flyers' GM knows Williams well. Hextall served as vice president and assistant general manager of the Kings from 2006 to 2013, so he was able to witness first-hand what Williams can do on a nightly basis.

It's also worth mentioning that Williams still owns a home in Ventnor, NJ. He met his wife, Kelly, when he began his career with the Flyers, too. The move back East could be an easy transition for Williams and his family of four.

But what about the contract? In an ideal world, the Flyers would sign Williams to a one- or two-year deal as a stop-gap until the team either frees up enough cap room to sign a star winger or develop a few forward prospects.

Williams carried a $3.65 million cap hit last season. That may be too stiff for Hextall to match this summer. But if the two sides can agree to a reasonable dollar amount, I'm on board for bringing Williams back as a short-term option on offense.

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