Veteran NHL defenseman Nathan Beaulieu has made the decision to head overseas to continue his professional career. According to a team announcement, he’s signed with EHC Kloten, a club in Switzerland’s National League.
The move puts Beaulieu, 30, in a European professional league for the first time in his career. The 471-game NHL veteran began this season on a PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes, but Beaulieu was not able to earn a NHL contract with the club.
Before this signing, Beaulieu had spent nine consecutive seasons as a full-time NHLer, skating in just four games outside the NHL in that span.
The 2011 first-round pick never quite lived up to the offensive potential he flashed in his QMJHL days, though he had solidified himself as a reliable depth defender on the Winnipeg Jets.
Beaulieu has averaged 16:18 time-on-ice per game over the course of his NHL career, and now at age 30 it appears the player prefers to try his luck playing overseas rather than potentially settle for an AHL contract.
In landing in Kloten, Beaulieu provides the team with an instant replacement for Lucas Ekeståhl Jonsson, who left Kloten to sign with the SHL’s Rögle BK. Ekeståhl Jonsson was Kloten’s highest-scoring defenseman last season, but this year has managed just three points in 16 games.
Alongside Ekeståhl Jonsson’s declined production, he has also seen his role on the team slow down, as he’s averaging just 16:42 time-on-ice per game this season, compared to 21:50 last season. With Beaulieu now in the fold, Kloten may have landed an immediate upgrade for their departed blueliner.
Though it may take him some time to settle into his new surroundings, there’s the potential for Beaulieu to play a major top-pairing role for Kloten.
As a left-shot defenseman, the former Montreal Canadiens top defensive prospect could end up paired with current Canadiens top defensive prospect David Reinbacher, who is playing this season on loan at Kloten. Reinbacher has been out with an injury since October 13, but once he’s healthy it’s possible the two are paired together.
That role would be a strong opportunity for Beaulieu, as its likely that the eyes of many NHL scouts would be on him, something that could heighten his odds of getting a shot to return to the NHL next season.
For Kloten, the signing is more about finding an instant replacement (and upgrade, assuming Beaulieu can hit the ground running) for their departed defenseman, a move that needed to be made in order for the club to make a push to avoid the threat of relegation.
Kloten currently sit second to last in the National League with a 6-12-1 record, meaning they will need Beaulieu to step in and make an impact sooner rather than later in order to bank away some valuable standings points and keep their spot in the top level of Swiss hockey.
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