The Colorado Avalanche have signed unrestricted free agent defenceman Francois Beauchemin to a three year deal. Financial terms of the deal have not been released. Beauchemin spent last season with the Anaheim Ducks.
The 35-year-old Beauchemin has aged incredibly well and had a bit of a late-career renaissance.
Beauchemin $4.5 million AAV times three years
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) July 1, 2015
Earlier in his career, he was a key piece of the Anaheim Ducks blueline (behind Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer) that won the Stanley Cup in 2007. Despite a torn ACL that caused him to miss all but 20 games of the 2008-09 season, the Maple Leafs signed Beauchemin to a three-year contract. His tenure in Toronto would be brief however, and he soon found himself traded back to Anaheim in exchange for Joffrey Lupul and Jake Gardiner, as the Leafs were searching for offense and youth on the blueline.
Initially, things did not go well for Beauchemin upon his return to Anaheim; in 2010-11 he managed to get into only 27 games, scoring 5 points. However the next year he started again logging the huge minutes he was accustomed to, and his lock-out shortened 2012-13 season was spectacular – he posted 24 points in 48 games, finishing fourth in Norris voting and earning him a berth on the 2nd NHL All-Star Team.
Since then it’s been steady as she goes for Beauchemin, and he even put up a career-high 11 goals this past season in Anaheim. Of the defensive d-men available this year, Beauchemin might be the best, despite his age, averaging more than 100 blocked shots (161) and hits (122) per season in his career, while providing a touch of offense and great veteran leadership.
Main Photo: ANAHEIM, CA – JANUARY 11: Blake Wheeler #26 of the Winnipeg Jets defends the puck against Francois Beauchemin #23 of the Anaheim Ducks during an NHL game at the Honda Center on January 11, 2015 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)
