When Toronto Maple Leafs' general manager Brian Burke brought defenseman Francois Beauchemin into the fold via free agency almost every Maple Leaf fan applauded Burke for signing the veteran , regardless of the high price (three-year deal worth an average of $3.8 million).
At the time of the signing, Burke described Beauchemin as a “rock solid, steady defender that will add character to our team.”
With a full season in the Blue and White behind him it’s safe to say that, while decent, Beauchemin was hardly the rock solid, steady defender the Leafs thought they were getting.
Truth be told, Beauchemin struggled with the Leafs last season, posting just five goals and 26 points. While his point totals were not terrible, his career-worst plus/minus rating of minus-13 jumps off the stat sheets at you.
Beauchemin ranked second-worst on a team that, admittedly, struggled defensively and between the pipes last season.
Through it all Beauchemin gave a consistent effort, but few of his games were what anyone would call “memorable.”
With the Leafs so deep on defense the question has come ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Ritter
Toronto Maple Leafs: Does Francois Beauchemin Still Fit Into Team’s Plans?
September 7th, 2010 by Mark Ritter Leave a reply »
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