Update (4:30 PM): George’s got his take on the deal up.

As he suggests, another deal’s more likely than a non-Abdelkader call-up or Abdelkader remaining in Detroit, but it will probably be a while. The Wings can afford to give Lilja time to see if he can recover before being placed on the LTIR next month.  - Matt

Update (2:10 PM): Bruce MacLeod has a good post up on the cap situation with the Williams signing here. Looks like another forward isn’t out of the question, but if Lilja’s healthy, Abdelkader’s down.

Since a healthy Lilja’s not looking likely and since signing someone else for cheap enough may be tough, let’s hope Kenny’s flexible on the whole 13 forwards thing. - Matt

Update (1:29 PM): Scratch that Abdelkader bit below. I mistakenly counted McCarty as the 13th forward on NHLNumbers, but really it’s Abdelkader. Assuming Holland’s 22-man, 7-D ideal as related to MacLeod is what we’re dealing with.

So, as Garth says in the comments,

The question to me is, do you keep Abdelkader up and have him, Williams and Eaves rotating in and out of the lineup or do you look for another player with a contract in between Eaves’ and Williams’ numbers and have Abdelkader play 15-20 minutes a game, every day in GR?

Another player, please. Abdelkader shouldn’t be sitting in the luxury box at all this season. - Matt

Update (1:10 PM): George Sipple has Williams’ salary at $1.5 million, which is overpaying a bit, in my opinion.

Good news, though, is the team isn’t over the cap, if NHLNumbers is right. But Meech will still have to go (or Lilja will have to go on LTIR) if the Wings want 13 forwards, 7 defensemen and 2 goalies. - Matt

Update (12:52 PM): Bruce MacLeod tweets:

Williams signing likely has Wings over cap limit with 23-man roster. Holland said 22 is the ideal number with 7 defensemen.

So, trade coming, unless Lilja’s on the LTIR in Hollnd’s 22-man, 7-D scenario. See ya Meech.

Oh, and this signing obviously means Abdelkader’s in Grand Rapids, barring a Filpullian camp performance on his part and a sucky one on someone else’s. - Matt

Update (11:30 AM): So the team’s release on the signing is dated August 4th. If that’s not some kind of mistake, this news went two days before being picked up. For my part, it must have been some kind of self-defense blackout. - Matt

Jason Williams is back, reports Michael Zuidema. Thankfully, it’s just for one year. No word yet on how much the Wings will be paying him to turn the puck over at the blueline when he inevitably gets placed there on the power play by Babcock.

On paper, this is a nice acquisition because Williams can produce when he wants to. But it’s that last phrase, “when he wants to,” that makes me unhappy with it. Williams’ history in Detroit is not exactly sterling as he was the prime underachiever on the team for years.

The circumstances of his departure weren’t so hot either. It’s not exactly a highpoint in the career of a guy when he’s the player leaving a team like the Wings in a deal for Kyle Calder.

Williams is an underachieving gripe and I’m disappointed no Siberian KHL team took him off our hands. I’m wishing Holland hadn’t made him that offer. “In Kenny We Trust” doesn’t work for me on this one.

On the bright side, we have an early favorite for Team Goat, Wings fans! With Samuelsson gone, and Lilja on reprieve with a brain injury, Williams can now be our anger outlet on a team that doesn’t provide many other opportunities.