The Colorado Avalanche will buy out the final year of Francois Beauchemin’s contract.
The Avs will still be stuck with a $4.5 million cap hit for the 37-year-old defenseman, but they’ll save $1.5 million in actual dollars.
Beauchemin also had a no-movement clause, so the Avs will no longer be obligated to protect him in the expansion draft. That leaves them free to protect Erik Johnson, Tyson Barrie, and Nikita Zadorov, plus seven forwards. (Or, they could protect another defenseman -- perhaps Mark Barberio, or even one they add in a trade -- then only protect four forwards.)
Beauchemin played 81 games for the Avs last season, averaging 21:31 of ice time. He had five goals and 13 assists.