Williams was left unprotected heading by Washington heading into the expansion draft, Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

General manager Brian MacLellan appears to have had a clear plan in place regarding his protected players as none of the Capitals' unrestricted free agents -- including Williams -- was protected. It would seem to be a sound strategy as it prevents Washington from losing a player in free agency that they elected to not make available, thereby risking another player who was under contract. The 35-year-old notched his fourth straight 40-plus point season in 2016-17 and would seem like a near lock if not for the availability of T.J. Oshie, Philipp Grubauer, and Brooks Orpik.