Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan was busy at the Sphere on Day 2 of the 2024 NHL Draft, and the first move that he made was sending forward Beck Malenstyn to the Buffalo Sabres.
Malenstyn was sent to Buffalo in exchange for the 43rd overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft. With that pick, D.C. took high-scoring defenseman Cole Hutson from the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Malenstyn led all Capitals forwards in defensive zone starts and hits last season, and was first over the boards on the penalty kill while showing good chemistry with Nic Dowd. His impact in his first full NHL season was a big factor in helping D.C. sneak back into the playoffs.
For MacLellan, it wasn't an easy decision to make, but it was too good a deal to pass up
"I mean, we didn't want to move Beck. We like what he's done... I just think the opportunity for that pick, that we could use it and hopefully get a D," MacLellan said.
The 26-year-old is a restricted free agent and had received a qualifying offer from Washington. MacLellan emphasized that he had no issue re-signing Malenstyn, who is arbitration eligible, and that the deal didn't arise out of the team not wanting to pay too much for him.
Instead, it was about gaining a top defensive option and improving the prospect pool with another left-hand shot, and at the same time, it allowed MacLellan to send a message to his group that it is retooling and improving.
"We all know that we need to get better and we're trying to get better," MacLellan said. "At the same time, we're trying to add prospects, trying to get younger, trying to get quicker."
Hutson had 51 points in 51 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program and added 12 points in 19 USHL games. The Capitals cited his offensive ability and skillset, saying that he shows a lot of potential to play a big role on the blue line in the future.
"I thought we did really well," MacLellan said of the draft.
