The Buffalo Sabres didn’t wait for free agency to open before locking up one of their own. They gave forward Beck Malenstyn a six-year, $18 million contract, according to Elliotte Friedman. The deal averages $3 million a season, which doubles the $1.375 million cap hit he carried on his previous contract.
Malenstyn just finished his second season in Buffalo. He put up seven goals and seven assists in 81 games, but his value goes way beyond the stat sheet. During the playoffs, he added a goal and two assists in 13 games while throwing 42 hits and blocking 10 shots. That kind of stuff doesn’t always show up in box scores, but the Sabres noticed.
The Hit King
What got Malenstyn this big payday? Simple. He led the Sabres with 282 hits this season, which ranked fifth in the entire NHL. That’s a lot of punishment for a guy making less than $1.5 million. Now he’s getting paid for it.
He also turned into a key piece on the penalty kill. Among Sabres skaters who logged at least 100 minutes shorthanded, Malenstyn had the lowest expected goals against on the team, per Natural Stat Trick. That’s the kind of defensive work coaches love but casual fans miss.
A Trade That Worked Out
Washington drafted him in the fifth round back in 2016. The Caps traded him to Buffalo during the 2024 offseason for a second-round pick. That pick turned into Cole Hutson, who happens to be the brother of Habs defenseman Lane Hutson. So both teams got something out of it.
Over 262 regular-season games, Malenstyn has 19 goals and 29 assists for 48 points. Not flashy numbers, but the Sabres clearly value what else he brings. Physical forwards who can kill penalties don’t grow on trees.
With this deal on the books, Buffalo has roughly $10.8 million in cap space heading into July 1. They still need to handle restricted free agents Peyton Krebs and Olen Zellweger before the market opens. So the work isn’t done yet.
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