It has been almost a year since, the Buffalo Sabres made the trade for Beck Malenstyn. They acquired him from the Washington Capitals in exchange for the left winger. The Sabres were hoping he would be a key to them returning to the postseason.
Neither of them happened. He did not have the season he or the organization may have wanted when they made the trade and then signed him to a two-year deal. On the offensive end, he only scored four goals and added six assists on the season.
The Sabres as a whole were top heavy last season with Alex Tuch, JJ Peterka, and Tage Thompson being the primary scorers on offense. Outside of that they were missing more prolific scorers and missed a lot of chances.
This included Malenstyn whose plus/minus was negative 16 on the season
If they want more production for their left wingers, they will need him to step for the upcoming season. The prior season for the Capitals he had 21 points. He also had four shots on goal during the postseason for Washington.
The left winger's biggest contribution may have been though his physicality. He led forwards with 191 hits on the team. With Jordan Greenway being out of the lineup, it was telling to see the Sabres get bullied around the ice during certain times throughout the season.
Head coach Lindy Ruff spoke of the player's value to the Sabres last season. "He’s a really hard competitor. Like, he makes people pay a price. If you’re going to move a puck and he’s near you, he’s going into you hard. And he’s got a really good burst skating, so he can get to you. I mean, it’s one thing to be able to be physical, but he can get to you and he knows how to hit.”
Now, Malenstyn may need to bounce back on the ice for next season
He has only the one-year remaining on his contract. If the Sabres slide once again, he could easily be seen as a trade target in February or March.
But he has a chance to move onto the ice. More time to find his way as a scorer and not just a physical force. The Sabres need more goal scorers and more depth if they wish to move into playoff contention.
On December 23rd, he gave the Sabres an early Christmas gifts by putting them up against the New York Islanders. It was a first-period goal that came off a deflection before he back on the net. Now he needs to take more chances to make a difference this upcoming season.
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