Confirmed Signing with Link: [BUF] F Beck Malenstyn re-signs with the Sabres (2 years, $1.35M AAV)

[Marc the Habs Fan]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1815732446727446747

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[LongWayDown37]

Overpay in the trade and maybe the contract here. But its the position the Sabres management have put the team in - so it is what it is (for now anyway). I do think he'll be a helpful player for them.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1815732446727446747

Amazing how few times local Buffalo fail to get the story first. Nothing deal. Moves needle not at all

 

[LemonSauceD]

Really like this player. Had him as a trade target in case Joshua didn’t re sign. Pretty similar tools and could potentially develop into a valuable piece in the bottom 6.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Seems more than fair for a guy who logged the amount and type of minutes he did for the Caps. Buffalo totally transformed its bottom 6 this summer, and Malenstyn is an important part of that.

 

[KeyserSoze81]

Nothing deal. Moves needle not at all

I don't understand this sentiment. He brings physicality and performed well in absurd defensive deployments last year, and was effective in Hershey in prior years. He is exactly the type of player that the Sabres need.

You can argue about other moves (or lack thereof), but Adams acquired a brand new 4th line in Malenstyn, NAK, and Lafferty. I will take that every day over the weird cast of misfits and washed vets that Buffalo has employed in the bottom 6 for many years.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

I don't understand this sentiment. He brings physicality and performed well in absurd defensive deployments last year, and was effective in Hershey in prior years. He is exactly the type of player that the Sabres need.

You can argue about other moves (or lack thereof), but Adams acquired a brand new 4th line in Malenstyn, NAK, and Lafferty. I will take that every day over the weird cast of misfits and washed vets that Buffalo has employed in the bottom 6 for many years.

The talent at the top end of the lineup is ridiculously thin. We will have $10 M of cap room when the season starts. There are so many places we could have upgraded the roster, but it seems obvious that money is a factor. This is an okay move. It doesn't upset me. It does nothing. Do you want me to get excited about guys who were effective in the AHL? His advances don't look phenomenal to me, and we gave u a 43rd. I know the old excuse, no one will sign with Buffalo. Like I said, this deal means almost zero to me. The positive is we are not spending $2.5 M on junk for 4th line. The negative is savings will not be used elsewhere. That's life. They are my team. Hope for best

 

[Chainshot]

Solid value.

 

[Dubi Doo]

The talent at the top end of the lineup is ridiculously thin. We will have $10 M of cap room when the season starts. There are so many places we could have upgraded the roster, but it seems obvious that money is a factor. This is an okay move. It doesn't upset me. It does nothing. Do you want me to get excited about guys who were effective in the AHL? His advances don't look phenomenal to me, and we gave u a 43rd. I know the old excuse, no one will sign with Buffalo. Like I said, this deal means almost zero to me. The positive is we are not spending $2.5 M on junk for 4th line. The negative is savings will not be used elsewhere. That's life. They are my team. Hope for best

The man had an insane amount of defensive starts. A laughable amount, really. I'd take any of his stats with a grain of salt because of that. I actually think we may see some growth in his offensive game assuming Ruff doesn't deploy him in the d zone 85%+ of the time like the Caps did.

Rebuilding the 4th line means a lot to me. It should've been done last offseason. I'm happy to have Beck as 1/3 of gritty, defensive 4th line, which is exactly what he was in WAS. As I'm sure many know, NY's 4th line was top tier, and played a big role in their playoff push. Buffalo now has 2/3 of it. Let's hope Dowd wasn't the main reason for that.

 

[dgibb10]

Steal of a contract, I thought he'd get 2+ mill

 

[Wats]

Good deal, lot of his types tend to get overpaid. McCleod and Malenstyn might be what they need up front to round out that team. Won't be surprised if it works better than the fans think.

 

[dgibb10]

I don't understand this sentiment. He brings physicality and performed well in absurd defensive deployments last year, and was effective in Hershey in prior years. He is exactly the type of player that the Sabres need.

You can argue about other moves (or lack thereof), but Adams acquired a brand new 4th line in Malenstyn, NAK, and Lafferty. I will take that every day over the weird cast of misfits and washed vets that Buffalo has employed in the bottom 6 for many years.

The upside for buffalo is they now have 2/3 parts of what was an incredible 4th line deployed in the most ridiculous assignments I've ever seen.

The concern/question is, just how much of their results were thanks to Nic Dowd, who was the clear best player on that line, and the center.

Washington appears to have bet on dowd, and buffalo on Malenstyn and NAK.

 

[BKarchitect]

Sabres fans are gonna love him. This isn’t an overpay at all. Not even a “slight” overpay. It’s a great deal for a guy who is gonna log all-purpose bottom six minutes for a team crying for size, physicality and defensive conscious in their forward group.

 

[Silky mitts]

EH had 3x$1.85M before the trade, thought they would definitely go 3 years

 

[Chainshot]

The upside for buffalo is they now have 2/3 parts of what was an incredible 4th line deployed in the most ridiculous assignments I've ever seen.

View attachment 896544

The concern/question is, just how much of their results were thanks to Nic Dowd, who was the clear best player on that line, and the center.

Washington appears to have bet on dowd, and buffalo on Malenstyn and NAK.

For Sabre fans out there, that's a heavier d-zone use than what caused O'Reilly to "lose his love for the game" or how Larsson-Girgensons were used the year following.

 

[zbubble]

We will have $10 M of cap room when the season starts. There are so many places we could have upgraded the roster, but it seems obvious that money is a factor.

Are you sure about that 10 mil number? I thought we were around 12 mil under before this signing. Now add in whatever UPL and Krebs are going to get, and we’re closer to around 4-5 mil under when all are signed?

 

[dgibb10]

For Sabre fans out there, that's a heavier d-zone use than what caused O'Reilly to "lose his love for the game" or how Larsson-Girgensons were used the year following.

Absolutely ridiculous usage.

Usually when you think of a guy getting used defensively it's in the mid teens in terms of dzone start %

 

[johnnybbadd]

The talent at the top end of the lineup is ridiculously thin. We will have $10 M of cap room when the season starts. There are so many places we could have upgraded the roster, but it seems obvious that money is a factor. This is an okay move. It doesn't upset me. It does nothing. Do you want me to get excited about guys who were effective in the AHL? His advances don't look phenomenal to me, and we gave u a 43rd. I know the old excuse, no one will sign with Buffalo. Like I said, this deal means almost zero to me. The positive is we are not spending $2.5 M on junk for 4th line. The negative is savings will not be used elsewhere. That's life. They are my team. Hope for best

Quinn and Peterka are RFAs after this year and will get raises. Any top 6 player that could be had by trade would demand top 6 money. That will also handicap the team in the future. Kulich has incredible goal scoring potential and should be in the lineup by next year also (maybe this year). No one that is available has a shot like him. The team waited this long have a prospect pool that is the envy of the NHL so why make a panic move now?

As for Malenstyn, how could this be viewed as anything other than a positive move and contract? He’s making 500k more than league minimum for 2 years, he’s pretty young, he’s one of the better skaters in the league and he plays 2 ways. Too many uninformed stat watchers on this forum.

 

[Yatzhee]

Seems more than fair for a guy who logged the amount and type of minutes he did for the Caps. Buffalo totally transformed its bottom 6 this summer, and Malenstyn is an important part of that.

My feelings as well. The guy did earn the contract in this case, even if for another team. Hope it pans out for him and the Sabres, by all the caps fans I speak with they say he'll be a good bottom 6 for the Sabres.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Quinn and Peterka are RFAs after this year and will get raises. Any top 6 player that could be had by trade would demand top 6 money. That will also handicap the team in the future. Kulich has incredible goal scoring potential and should be in the lineup by next year also (maybe this year). No one that is available has a shot like him. The team waited this long have a prospect pool that is the envy of the NHL so why make a panic move now?

As for Malenstyn, how could this be viewed as anything other than a positive move and contract? He’s making 500k more than league minimum for 2 years, he’s pretty young, he’s one of the better skaters in the league and he plays 2 ways. Too many uninformed stat watchers on this forum.

These excuses have been used for two years running and ignore the reality of one-year deals. They happen all summer, last summer, and this summer. I don't really view Malenstyn as much of anything. His possession stats are not great, but his defensive starts are bonkers. It doesn't excite me, it doesn't upset. Paying a 43rd seems a tad high but picks are way overrated.

 

[Zman5778]

Are you sure about that 10 mil number? I thought we were around 12 mil under before this signing. Now add in whatever UPL and Krebs are going to get, and we’re closer to around 4-5 mil under when all are signed?

After the Malenstyn contract, we're at $14.5M under. Add in UPL and Krebs and then another ~$800k for either an 8th Dman or 14th forward and we'll be somewhere around $8M left in cap space to start the year.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Are you sure about that 10 mil number? I thought we were around 12 mil under before this signing. Now add in whatever UPL and Krebs are going to get, and we’re closer to around 4-5 mil under when all are signed?

Puckpedia has them at $14.5 million but Krebs and UPL have to be signed. I think that figure includes Levi, and he likely goes down to start the season. We'll probably carry 23 players though. Either way, it's close to $10 M. More than enough money to buy something else for a year and still have cap room for bonuses this year so no carry forward. This team hasn't used its cap room four four years running and that's not just to sign player but for salary retention or to retain cap for picks. That's the new reality. I don't even understand why people continue to believe saving money narrative. I would say it offs high he will be 10% under the cap in 2025-26 too. Adams will make that happen.

 

[um]

Dude is a great 4th liner with a whole lot of hustle. The offensive upside isn't really there but he knows his role and keeps it simple.

It's a good deal for Buffalo.

 

[Butt Ox]

Seems like a decent deal for a guy who could become my new favorite Sabre.

 

[My3Sons]

Puckpedia has them at $14.5 million but Krebs and UPL have to be signed. I think that figure includes Levi, and he likely goes down to start the season. We'll probably carry 23 players though. Either way, it's close to $10 M. More than enough money to buy something else for a year and still have cap room for bonuses this year so no carry forward. This team hasn't used its cap room four four years running and that's not just to sign player but for salary retention or to retain cap for picks. That's the new reality. I don't even understand why people continue to believe saving money narrative. I would say it offs high he will be 10% under the cap in 2025-26 too. Adams will make that happen.

Until the team starts to turn the corner it's probably something of a tough sell to ownership to spend. Buffalo has struggled for several years to amass the young players they have and that group has to start to show they are capable of winning at a playoff level and once the management sees that you expect they will add at the TDL at the latest. If the team responds the extra cap will allow them to make a big add for a playoff push. I wouldn't lose hope yet.