Beauchemin Had a Great Off-Season

A healthy baby boy and a healthy contract extension. Not a bad off-season for Francois Beauchemin.

At this time last year, Beauchemin was looking to secure a spot on the opening-night roster with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Fast forward 12 months to his place with the Ducks, which couldn’t be more secure after he signed a two-year extension Aug. 16.

The new contract, worth $3.3 million, triggers after this season and comes after his wife, Marie, gave birth to their first child, Samuel. Beauchemin will make $500,000 in the last year of his current deal.

“That was a big relief,” Beauchemin said. “It’s security, knowing that I’ll be playing here the next three years. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and really, really happy with that contract.”

A year ago Beauchemin made the Blue Jackets out of camp but was sent to the Ducks in the Sergei Fedorov trade last November. Considered an afterthought at the time, the 26-year-old defenseman turned heads with a strong regular season and a breakout performance in the Ducks’ playoff run to the Western Conference finals.

Drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1998 and picked up on waivers by Columbus in 2004, Beauchemin is finally entrenched. “You always work hard to get your role, but I think this year will be a little bit [different] in training camp,” he said. “I’m not battling for the fifth or sixth spot in the lineup.”

Beauchemin has been quick to credit Scott Niedermayer, his defense partner last season. He flourished alongside Niedermayer, scoring 34 points in 61 games with the Ducks and leading all NHL rookie defensemen with nine points in the playoffs.

Naturally, he hopes that Coach Randy Carlyle keeps them together. His pairing with Niedermayer, the former Norris Trophy winner, “gave me some confidence. Being less nervous with the puck and being in the right place at the right time. Knowing that Scotty was always there to back me up whenever I made a mistake,” Beauchemin said.

Niedermayer sacrificed the chance for a second Olympic gold medal in February to have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee so he could be available for the Ducks’ final push for a playoff spot.

The decision paid off. Niedermayer wasn’t part of Canada’s disappointing quarterfinal-round elimination in Turin, and he led the Ducks on their surprising postseason run in his first year with the team.

Two days into camp, Niedermayer said his knee feels better after an off-season of rest and therapy.

“Even though I got back and started playing, it was an issue on and off for the rest of the year,” the Ducks captain said. “That’s sort of what the doctors and our trainer had said. I didn’t really give it a chance to rest and heal. It feels quite good right now.”

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The Ducks conclude intrasquad scrimmages today at Anaheim Ice before opening the exhibition schedule against the Kings on Monday night at the Pond. Carlyle said the scrimmages are essential to evaluating players. “”You have the coaching staff, management, the media. Everybody forms their opinion from these,” he said.

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eric.stephens@latimes.com