Ducks sign former Tampa Bay defenseman Andrej Sustr to one-year deal

With Francois Beauchemin and Kevin Bieksa no longer in the fold, the Ducks have moved quickly to replace them with other veteran defensemen.

Three days after the club signed Luke Schenn to a one-year deal, the Ducks announced the acquisition of free-agent Andrej Sustr to a one-year contract. The deal is $1.3 million, according to a person not authorized to publicly disclose the matter.

The 6-foot-7 Sustr spent his entire NHL career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he compiled 63 points in 318 games. The 27-year-old also appeared in 46 playoff games.

Sustr represented the Czech Republic at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and also at the 2010 World Junior Championship.

The Ducks’ top four defensemen are set with Brandon Montour, Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson.

But the third pairing is unsettled. Beauchemin was a regular in the lineup before he retired following last season, and Bieksa often played on that unit too.

Fellow rookies Andy Welinski and Marcus Pettersson got long looks throughout the season, but with Sustr set to earn seven figures, he’s likely to occupy a regular spot in the lineup.