Maple Leafs Sign Francois Beauchemin to Three-Year Deal

[skacore]

Brian Burke, president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Monday that unrestricted free agent defenceman Francois Beauchemin has signed a three-year contract with the team.

“Francois will be a welcome addition to our blueline,” said Burke. “He’s a rock solid, steady defender that will add character to our team.”

Beauchemin, 29, missed 62 regular season games due to a knee injury in 2008-09 but returned in time to play in the final two regular season games and all 13 post-season games for Anaheim. He recorded one goal and 15 penalty minutes in the 2009 Playoffs. He has appeared in the playoffs in each of the past four seasons with the Ducks and he contributed four goals and four assists in 20 games during Anaheim's 2007 Stanley Cup championship run. Overall, he has eight goals and 10 assists in 55 playoff games for the Ducks.

The 6 foot, 213 pounder was obtained by Anaheim from Columbus with Tyler Wright for Sergei Fedorov and a fifth-round choice in the 2006 NHL Draft on November 15, 2005.

He was originally the Montreal Canadiens’ 3rd choice, 75th overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. The native of Sorel, Quebec is one of 16 defencemen invited to attend Canada’s National Men’s Hockey Team Orientation Camp which will take place in late August.

[Knucklechucker]

If this is true, its rad.

[grits207]

Looks like a done deal http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/...fs_beauchemin/

I'm assuming this means Kaberle is gone. Either way the Leafs D is going to be fun to watch next year.

[bigjohnson]

Originally Posted by grits207

Either way the Leafs D is going to be fun to watch next year.

The rest of the team is horrible.

[ShelleyFan45]

Burke is building a great defense in Toronto. Not a bad deal either, 3 years 10 mil total isn't bad for Beauchemin.

[Knucklechucker]

Originally Posted by bigjohnson

The rest of the team is horrible.

HEY NOW, only the forwards are horrible.
I know its gonna sound homer, but the Leafs might have the toughest defensive core in the NHL.
Schenn
Exelby
Komisarek
Beauchamin

If Kaberle is gone that is, he pretty much brings the team down to detroit standards by himself.

[bigjohnson]

Originally Posted by Knucklechucker

HEY NOW, only the forwards are horrible.
I know its gonna sound homer, but the Leafs might have the toughest defensive core in the NHL.
Schenn
Exelby
Komisarek
Beauchamin

I agree. You need to build your team from the goalie out. They do have a tough team. Burke cant fix all the problems in one season.

[Knucklechucker]

Originally Posted by bigjohnson

I agree. You need to build your team from the goalie out. They do have a tough team. Burke cant fix all the problems in one season.

nah, it really looks like our forwards are gonna be pretty much the same as last year, the 4th line will be different thats about it.
But he really did overhaul the defense this year.

[bigjohnson]

Originally Posted by Knucklechucker

nah, it really looks like our forwards are gonna be pretty much the same as last year, the 4th line will be different thats about it.
But he really did overhaul the defense this year.

Correct. But give him a couple more years and he may make the forwards competitive. It definitely wasn't a one year job.

[The Woodsman]

I was posting about this last week in the Leafs Team forum... I already typed out my thoughts in there, but to sum it up, great move.

[canuckfan]

Thats a pretty darn good looking defense Burke has assembled in Toronto. They will definitley make life miserable for opposing forwards in front of the Leafs net, and Toskala will have a lot of help keeping the puck out. Another good signing by Burkie, and if the Leafs can find some way to score goals, they just might find themselves a playoff spot come April 2010. At the very least they'll be funner to watch.

[Colt Seavers]

I would have figured Beachy would have been chased hard by LA. I guess Scuderi fullfilled their wish. No suprise here, since it's Burke running the show. Signing yet another one of his former players.

[Thrillhouse]

Awesome

[Cat Smasher]

Totally awesome.

[JKidd]

Nice. Good to see Beauch find his way back to his old GM.

Should be a hell of a defensive corps the Leafs have... if they all stay healthy.