Williams headed back to Hurricanes in free agency

Mr. Game Seven is headed back to Raleigh.

The Carolina Hurricanes signed veteran forward Justin Williams to a two-year contract worth $9 million, the club announced.

Williams will be 36 in early October, but he's still productive. He had 24 goals and 24 assists in 80 games last season with the Washington Capitals.

A three-time Stanley Cup champion, Williams' most productive season came with the Hurricanes in 2005-06, when he scored 31 goals and finished with 76 points. Carolina won the Cup that season, Williams scoring seven tallies and adding 11 assists during the successful playoff run.

Carolina's a young team on the rise, and certainly aren't in the Capitals' tier when it comes to contending for a championship. But Williams clearly enjoyed his previous years with the club, and will be relied upon as a leader in the dressing room and on the ice.