Blue Jackets Lock In Undrafted Forward Who Led Rookies in Game-Winning Goals

The Columbus Blue Jackets aren’t waiting to see what Jack Williams can do at the next level. They’re betting on it now.

On Monday, the team signed the 24-year-old forward to a two-year, two-way contract extension that runs through the 2027-28 season. The deal carries an $875,000 average annual value at the NHL level, according to President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell.

Williams was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1. Instead, he’ll earn $850,000 in the NHL and $100,000 in the AHL during the first year (with a $135,000 minimum guarantee), then $900,000 in the NHL and $150,000 in the AHL in year two (minimum guarantee of $215,000).

Here’s the thing about Williams: he has exactly one NHL game on his résumé. That came on April 17, 2025, against the New York Islanders, where he logged 11 minutes and 9 seconds of ice time. That’s it. But the Blue Jackets clearly see something they like.

What He Did in Cleveland

Williams spent the entire 2025-26 season with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, and he put together a genuinely impressive rookie campaign. He scored 15 goals and added 23 assists for 38 points in 72 games. He also racked up 146 shots on goal, 14 penalty minutes, and six game-winning goals.

That last number is the one that jumps off the page. Williams finished tied for seventh in the AHL in game-winning goals and ranked second among all league rookies in that category. He also tied for seventh among AHL rookies in shots on goal. On the Monsters, he finished fourth in team scoring and second among the club’s rookies in goals, assists, points, and shots.

He added five points in nine Calder Cup Playoff games. Not bad for a guy who went undrafted out of college.

The College Track Record

Before turning pro, Williams spent three seasons at Northeastern University. He put up 39 goals and 55 assists for 94 points in 106 games with a plus-11 rating. In each of his final two NCAA seasons, he hit at least 16 goals and 35 points. He earned a Hobey Baker Award nomination in 2023-24 and served as team captain in 2024-25, finishing that season with 41 points in 37 games.

Williams signed his entry-level contract with Columbus in March 2025 after wrapping up his college career. Before Northeastern, he played four seasons with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, posting 45 goals and 71 assists for 116 points in 165 games with a plus-19 rating.

For now, the Blue Jackets see Williams as a reliable organizational forward who could push for NHL minutes as he continues developing. The extension gives them cost-controlled depth with upside. And if his AHL production carries over, that one-game NHL sample size won’t stay at one for long.