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Francois Beauchemin signs 3-year deal with Avalanche

Francois Beauchemin signs 3-year deal with Avalanche

Guess we know who set the market rate for Francois Beauchemin.

The free-agent defenseman’s agent said that his client had a 3-year deal on the table from a suitor. That was too rich for the Anaheim Ducks’ blood, and they opted to trade for Kevin Bieksa from the Vancouver Canucks rather than give Beauchemin that term.

On Wednesday, moments after NHL free agency kicked off, the Colorado Avalanche announced that Beauchemin had inked a 3-year deal with $4.5 million annually. The contract has a no-movement claus.

(The Ducks, meanwhile, signed Bieksa to a 2-year deal with $4 million annually that kicks in for 2016-17.)

That’s a million-dollar jump for Beachemin, who will be 38 years old at the end of this contract.

Beauchemin becomes the third defenseman over 32 years old on the roster next season, along with Nate Guenin (32) and Brad Staurt (35).

It’s not a bad signing at all for Colorado, which had a pay a little more to land him.

Beauchemin had a real resurgence with the Ducks. He had a 52.7-percent Fenwick last season, slightly above average for the rest of Anaheim. He had 21 points at 5-on-5, and 23 points overall in 64 games. He skated 22:48 TOI per game.

He can only help a blue line that really needed some last season, and Beauchemin's going to be a good partner for a younger D-man.

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