Laraque is not happy with the decision or the timing of Thursday's announcement. The Montreal native is of Haitian descent and has family members who have been devastated by last week's earthquake.
The team intends to buy out the final year of his contract. General manager Bob Gainey says Laraque has not been productive and has become a distraction.
Laraque has played just 61 games over the past two seasons. He scored his only goal with the club last week against Dallas and dedicated it to the victims of the Haiti earthquake.