Sabres, Beck Malenstyn avoid arbitration

The Sabres and left winger Beck Malenstyn have avoided arbitration, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The winger lands a two-year, $2.7M pact with a $1.35M cap hit.

Malenstyn, 26, spent the last seven seasons in the Capitals’ organization after being picked in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. This wasn’t his first time being eligible for arbitration – he could have filed back in 2022 after completing a one-year, two-way deal but agreed to a two-year extension before reaching RFA status. The longtime minor league fixture broke into a full-time NHL role last season, playing a career-high 81 games and logging significant penalty kill time, but Washington decided not to retain him. The Sabres acquired his signing rights on Day 2 of the 2024 draft, with their second-round pick (No. 43 – D Cole Hutson) going the other way.

Malenstyn, who struggled with injuries throughout his development and assumed a checking role on the farm with AHL Hershey in parts of four seasons, solidified himself as an effective bottom-of-the-lineup presence last season. Averaging 14:15 per game, Malenstyn contributed six goals and 15 assists for 21 points while leading the Caps in hits (241). He could conceivably be called the purest shutdown forward in the league – over 90% of his even-strength zone starts came in the defensive end last season, per Hockey Reference. He also led Washington forwards in shorthanded usage at 2:37 per game.

After trading away captain Kyle Okposo at the deadline and losing Zemgus Girgensons and Eric Robinson to free agency, the Sabres needed some depth wingers to anchor their bottom six as their young talent progresses. They paid a premium on the trade market to get the 6’3″, 200-lb Malenstyn, but he does fit the bill. In fact, Buffalo will likely ice two-thirds of the Caps’ fourth line from last season come opening night after landing Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, who played opposite Malenstyn at right wing for much of the season, in free agency. Malenstyn will also challenge for first-unit penalty killing duties as he did in Washington.

Malenstyn will be 28 years old when this deal expires, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency for the first time in 2026. The Sabres have $13.2M in projected cap space remaining (PuckPedia) and still need new deals for RFAs Peyton Krebs and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the latter of whom filed for arbitration.