The Buffalo Sabres have agreed to terms with forward Beck Malenstyn on a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $1.35 million, the team announced Tuesday.
The Sabres acquired Malenstyn in a trade with the Washington Capitals on June 29. The 26-year-old set career highs in goals (6), assists (15), and points (21) in 81 games last season while playing a physical, defense-heavy role for Washington.
The 6-foot-3 forward was on the ice for 562 defensive-zone faceoffs at 5-on-5, the third-highest total in the NHL. He ranked third among NHL forwards in shorthanded time on ice (211:32).
Malenstyn also led Capitals players with 241 hits and led the team’s forwards with 93 blocked shots – all ingredients that the Sabres believe will help round out their group up front.
“This guy is a player who’s direct, hard, finishes checks – and not just finishes checks, but finishes checks hard,” Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said in June. “There was a real need for that.”
Malenstyn’s heavy defensive-zone usage last season frequently matched him up against top forwards on opposing teams, often with fellow Sabres offseason acquisition Nicolas Aube-Kubel as his linemate.
“It was a joy playing with him the whole year,” Aube-Kubel said. “He’s a really hard player to play against. That’s something I learned when I played against him in the American League. Also, while playing with him, it’s not just how many shots he blocks, (it’s) how many little details. He plays safe, he plays the right way. So, it was a pleasure to play with him this year.”
The Sabres have two remaining restricted free agents in forward Peyton Krebs and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
