Columbus General Manager Scott Howson announced the trade Wednesday. The Blue Jackets had received the sixth-round pick a year ago when they traded Jody Shelley to San Jose.
Williams has seven goals and 11 assists in 41 games with Atlanta this season.
The 28-year-old Ontario native has played 337 games in the NHL for Atlanta, Chicago and Detroit.
He helped the Red Wings win the 2002 Stanley Cup championship.
Stay Connected
NHL.TV™
NHL GameCenter LIVE™ is now NHL.TV™.
Watch out-of-market games and replays with an all new redesigned media player, mobile and connected device apps.
Introducing the new official NHL App, available for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones and tablets. A host of new features and improved functionality are available across all platforms, including a redesigned league-wide scoreboard, expanded news coverage, searchable video highlights, individual team experiences* and more. The new NHL App on your tablet also introduces new offerings such as 60fps video, Multitasking** and Picture-in-Picture.
*Available only for smartphones
** Available only for suported iPads