leave the game with an unrelated back injury. On September 17, 2008, Williams was thought to be sidelined for four-to-six months when he tore his right Achilles tendon in an off-ice, pre-season workout. Williams underwent surgery for the injury the following day, on September 18. Williams again surprised fans and analysts when he returned from his injury on December 4, 2008, more than one month earlier than his earliest projected return date. He was greeted by a round of applause on his first shift by the crowd, and played his first full NHL game in nearly 11 months. He played 32 games before he was again injured, this time by a teammate's slap shot, which broke his left hand. Los Angeles Kings (2009–2015) On March 5, 2009, Williams was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Patrick O'Sullivan and the Calgary Flames' second-round draft pick. On February 28, 2011, Williams signed a new four-year, $14.6 million contract with Los Angeles. He scored 15 points in the 2012 playoffs, helping the Kings win their first Stanley Cup. During the 2012–13 season, Williams scored 11 goals with 22 assists, as the Kings would ultimately lose to the eventual Stanley Cup champions Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals of the 2013 playoffs. Williams won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the 2014 playoffs, where he won his third Stanley Cup and second with the Kings. He scored 9 goals and 15 assists during the playoffs, including the game-winning goal in Game 1 the Finals against the New York Rangers, and the Kings' first in the 3–2 comeback in Game 5 to win the Cup. Williams also had points in all three Game 7 matches the Kings had en route to the Finals. Washington Capitals (2015–2017) On July 1, 2015, Williams signed a two-year, $6.25 million contract with the Washington Capitals. He would play his 1,000th NHL game on April 10, 2016. Despite the team winning back-to-back Presidents' Trophies, the Capitals could not advance past the second round in either season. Return to Carolina and retirement (2017–2020) On July 1, 2017, Williams returned to the Hurricanes, signing a two-year, $9 million contract. On September 13, 2018, Williams was named the captain of the Hurricanes, replacing the co-captaincy of Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk. The Hurricanes qualified for the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The team reached the Eastern