The Colorado Avalanche have signed free agent defenseman Francois Beauchemin to a three-year deal, according to multiple reports.
The deal carries an AAV of $4.5, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. That’s an increase from the $3.5 million cap hit he had last season with the Anaheim Ducks.
#avalanche François Beauchemin 3 years / $4.5 AAV #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) July 1, 2015

Last year he posted a score-adjusted -1.3% CF%Rel for the Ducks, the second straight season where he’s posted a negative relative possession number. Despite that, there’s reason to believe that he’ll be an improvement for the Avalanche’s thin blue line that has also seen the team acquire Nikita Zadorov from the Buffalo Sabres in the Ryan O’Reilly trade.
Keep up with all the free agent movement at the The Hockey Writers’ Deal Tracker.
RELATED: Carl Soderberg Signs 5-Year Deal With Colorado
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Dustin Nelson writes about news and the Minnesota Wild for The Hockey Writers.