BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Beck Malenstyn didn’t want to be anywhere else. The Buffalo Sabres forward signed a six-year extension just days before he was set to become a free agent.
On Monday, Malenstyn spoke with 7 Sports about his decision to stay in Buffalo and why it had always been his top option.
"Obviously, I'm ecstatic that we're able to get it done," Malenstyn said. "A big thing for me at this point in my career was just giving me and my family some stability. We had been in a new house for seven years in a row, a lot of rentals, things like that. This was an opportunity that I felt like the team was going in a great direction."
Malenstyn is one of three notable players to sign a new deal with the Sabres. On Monday, Peyton Krebs signed a four-year extension, and Zach Benson agreed to a seven-year deal five days before Malenstyn signed his. But the Sabres also had some notable losses, including Alex Tuch and Bo Byram. Malenstyn is confident in the Sabres' young core and their ability to step into bigger roles as soon as next season.
"You don't just get to go replace Tuchy with anybody, and it might be a little bit of a committee replacement, but these guys [Helensius, Ostlund, and Kulich] I think are willing and able to step up to that challenge," Malenstyn said. "Based on what we saw with them throughout the season, I think it's pretty safe to say it should be successful."
In 2025-2026, Malenstyn played in 81 games and tallied 14 points [seven goals, seven assists]. In the playoffs, he played in all 13 postseason games and had three points. As he and his teammates look to build off their success, the Sabres 28-year-old forward is ready to take on a bigger leadership role on and off the ice.
"[This] is a place where I really felt like I could be myself and I could be comfortable and that I got respected for what I did," Malenstyn said. "It's a great challenge and something that I'm really excited for to take that next step as a leader within that room."
You can watch our entire conversation with Malenstyn in the video at the top of the page!
