Justin Williams believes Capitals 'have all the ingredients of a championship team'

Justin Williams understands what it takes to be a champion having won three Stanley Cups in his career, and the forward believes his new team in Washington has what it takes to give him a fourth title.

"Obviously you need to earn respect of the league, and certainly L.A. has done that, and Washington is certainly doing that the way they've played the last couple years," Williams told Alex Prewitt of The Washington Post. "Not making playoffs, you get to watch a little hockey, and I watched a lot last year. They were tough to play against, good goalie, dynamic players, good defense, all the ingredients of a championship team."

The Capitals, who were already in good shape after taking the New York Rangers to the limit in the second round of the postseason, signed the 33-year-old to a two-year, $6.5-million contract July 1 and continued to beef up their lineup, trading for T.J. Oshie the following day.

With the additions of the pair to a team that already consists of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Braden Holtby, as well as rising stars Evgeny Kuznetsov and Marcus Johansson, Washington could be one of the most dangerous teams in the league next season, but Williams thinks he just needs to focus on his role, do his job, and avoid doing anything too extreme.

"Listen, I'm just going to come in and take it all in," he said. "I'm just going to be me. I'm not going to be someone I'm not. This certainly isn't my team. I'm here to be a piece, and I hope it's going to be a good fit."