The Buffalo Sabres secured certainly one of their pending free agents before the opening of free agency by agreeing to a six-year, $18 million contract with forward Beck Malenstyn, based on Elliotte Friedman. The deal carries a mean annual value of $3 million, doubling the $1.375 million cap hit from the two-year contract he signed after joining Buffalo in 2024.
Malenstyn, 28, accomplished his second season with the Sabres in 2025-26, ending with seven goals and 7 assists in 81 regular-season games. He also played a pivotal role throughout the playoffs, contributing one goal and two assists in 13 games while adding 42 hits and 10 blocked shots.
His physical play was a significant reason for the long-term commitment. Malenstyn led Buffalo with 282 hits, rating fifth across the NHL in that category. He also became an important contributor on the Sabres’ penalty kill, recording the team’s lowest expected goals against (xGA) amongst skaters with a minimum of 100 penalty-kill minutes at 17.83, based on Natural Stat Trick.
Originally chosen by the Washington Capitals with the 145th overall pick within the 2016 NHL Draft, Malenstyn was traded to Buffalo throughout the 2024 offseason in exchange for a second-round pick that was later used to pick out Cole Hutson, the brother of Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson.
Across 262 NHL regular-season games, Malenstyn has garnered 19 goals and 29 assists for 48 points. Together with his latest contract expected to count $3 million annually, the Sabres are projected to have just below $10.8 million in salary-cap space because the organization turns its attention to restricted free agents Peyton Krebs and Olen Zellweger before free agency begins on July 1.
The Buffalo Sabres secured certainly one of their pending free agents before the opening of free agency by agreeing to a six-year, $18 million contract with forward Beck Malenstyn, based on Elliotte Friedman. The deal carries a mean annual value of $3 million, doubling the $1. 375 million cap hit from the two-year contract he signed after joining Buffalo in 2024.