After four years in Anaheim, it appears Francois Beauchemin is on the move again as the Sorel, Quebec native has agreed a three-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs worth an average of $3.8 million per season.
Beauchemin suffered through an injury plagued season that saw him miss all but 20 games after suffering a torn ACL in November, causing him to miss the remainder of the regular season.
The 29-year old blueliner did return in time for the playoffs and skated in 13 games, picking up one goal.
"Francois will be a welcome addition to our blueline," Leafs President and general manager Brian Burke said in a statement. "He's a rock solid, steady defender that will add character to our team."
Beauchemin was originally acquired by the Ducks along with Tyler Wright in a deal that sent Sergei Fedorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was on the West coast where he flourished, enjoying his best seasons statistically with the Ducks and helping lead the team to their first ever Stanley Cup title in 2007.
In 246 career games split between Montreal, Columbus and Anaheim, Beauchemin has 21 goals and 69 assists.
Beauchemin was originally selected in the third round, 75th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1998 NHL Entry draft.
It was a busy day for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as the team also signed first round draft pick Nazem Kadri, and a group of five other players including Ben Ondrus and Ryan Hamilton.
