Next in the annual lead review and prospect series is Beck MallensteinForward to Washington and the capitals Hershey’s Bears. (You can access all of the Capitals’ prospects reports and player analysis on our “Prospects” page here.)
Vitals
Malenstyn, 25, is a 6′-2′ left wing who has spent the past five seasons with the Capitals and Hershey Bears. The White Rock, British Columbia native was a fifth round draft pick (#145 overall) by the Capitals in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Malenstyn signed a three-year, entry-level contract on April 10, 2017, for $736,666. He signed a one-year, $750,000 extension with The Capitals on July 8, 2021. The contract value was $750,000. The Capitals re-signed Malenstyn to a two-year, $1.525 million contract on June 20, 2022. He will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Career summary
Malenstyn spent parts of five seasons in the WHL, mostly with the Calgary Hitman, before being traded to the Swift Current Broncos during his final year in the league. Mallenstein His highest scoring season occurred during the 2016-17 season with the Calgary Hitmen, where he scored 32 goals and 24 assists in 70 games played.
Malenstyn was traded from Calgary to Swift Current just four games into the 2017-18 season. The move would eventually pay huge dividends, as Malenstyn and the Broncos would win the WHL Championship and lift the Ed Chynoweth Trophy. Malenstyn finished the season with 17 goals and 15 assists in 42 regular season games played. Malenstyn added four more goals and 11 assists in postseason play.
Malenstyn showed excellent developmental progression during his first year in the AHL. He arguably made the most progression of all of the Capitals’ prospects during the 2018-2019 season. He quickly found his footing, providing physical strength for the Bears, often setting the tone early in games with a slam dunk or two. Malenstyn has also shown potential as a team leader. He finished the season with seven goals and nine assists in 74 games played and became a consistent force in the Bears penalty shootout.
Malenstyn was on track to make a huge improvement in his points production before the 2019-2020 season was suspended. He scored seven goals and eight assists in just 46 games. His shooting percentage also improved from 7.6% in his rookie campaign to 10.9% in his sophomore year, but his average shots per game remained the same. Malenstyn continued to be a key player in the Bears’ kills, as well as a reliable shot blocker for the Bears. He will miss three matches suspended and 10 matches due to injury during the 2019-2020 season. Malenstyn was also called up to the Capitals for three games in November.
The Capitals announced on December 5 that Malenstyn would miss six to eight months after undergoing surgery to repair her Achilles tendon. Injured while training in Vancouver. As a result, Malenstyn missed the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season.
Malenstyn had a decent, though not overwhelming, 2021-22 season campaign, but in fact, that’s probably to be expected, coming back from a fairly serious injury. Malenstyn earned a call-up to the Capitals for the third consecutive season, scoring his first career NHL goal on November 30 against the Panthers in Florida.
The 2022-23 season was Mallenstein’s best professional season to date. He was called up to the Capitals early in the season and found a productive spot on left wing on the Capitals fourth line. The line was producing very positive reviews when Malenstyn fractured a finger. Aliaksei Protas filled in and did an excellent job as well, reducing the rush to bring Malenstyn back to the capitals. Malenstyn was once again a formidable leader for the Bears this season, setting the tone early in the games with a decisive hit, and also resuming his stellar play in shootouts.
Monthly summary and analysis of trends from 2022 to 2023
Below is a collection of Beck Mallenstein’s monthly odds reports during the 2022-2023 season. Also includes his monthly grades (0-5, with a 2.5 on average). You can find all of your monthly leads on the “Prospects” page in the top menu.
October
The Delta, British Columbia native was in the squad for Hershey’s first two games. The winger was unscathed in those two competitions with one shot on goal. He was solid on penalty kicks in those games.
Beck Mallenstein finally broke the goalie duel and put the Caps ahead 1-0! pic.twitter.com/R7oMGE1tbE
– NBC Sports Capitals (NBCSCapitals) October 30, 2022
Mallenstein was then called up to Washington after Connor Brown was injured. He has been most effective in the NHL. In three games, Mallenstein scored two points. The winger set up the game-winning goal for the Nashville Capitals on October 29, when he hit a home run on a feed by Nick Dodd in the second inning.
Monthly score: 4.0
November
The capital recalled Mallensteen on 19 October. The move came after right winger Conor Brown sustained a lower-body injury in the team’s 6-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks the previous night.
Malenstyn was doing well on the Capitals’ fourth line (in Hagelin’s area), but unfortunately, he was injured blocking a shot in the first period against the Vegas Knights on November 1.
Hell of a block by Malenstyn but man, that can’t feel good. Hell’s Mass by Malenstyn But man does not feel good pic.twitter.com/JuGWfyfjzS
– Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) November 1, 2022
The Capitals announced on November 4 that Malenstyn had surgery to repair a broken finger and was expected to miss 6–8 weeks. That puts it at a possible return somewhere between December 15th and January 1st.
Monthly score: incomplete
December
Malenstyn had a relatively quiet month in December, spending most of it rehabilitating his injury. Malenstyn was returned to the Bears at the end of December after rehab from finger surgery. He played the last two games of the month for the Bears and it immediately affected his fitness.
Monthly score: 2.5
January
After returning from injury in late December, Malenstyn began to find his game in January. He scored his first goal of the season on January 8 when he scored the opening score in the first period against Syracuse.
Beck Mallenstein with his first game of the season. The Bears lead 1-0. # the capper pic.twitter.com/Eg1fTRXcS8
– Capitals Horizons (@jon_m_sorensen) January 8, 2023
Mallenstein scored his second goal of the season a second later when he chipped a shot over the glove of Springfield’s Joel Hoover for Hershey’s second goal of the game.
Beck Mallenstein “smashed it” with a shorthand aim and we’re tied! # the capper #HBH pic.twitter.com/u6ycnPQwRF
– Capitals Horizons (@jon_m_sorensen) January 22, 2023
Malenstyn’s third and final January goal was big. In the third period in Belleville on January 21, he skated to the right circle and hit a shot off guard Kevin Mandolezzi for a shorthanded goal that tied the game at two.
Malenstyn continues to be an elite shot blocker. He consistently plays powerful penalty kicks and is often one of the first strikers on the boards when a unit is sent onto the ice.
Monthly score: 3.0
February
Entering the month with three points for the season, Mallenstein This total equals in February. Scored Hershey’s fourth Bridgeport goal in the third period on February 3.
Beck Mallenstein with his fourth of the season. The Bears lead 4-1. #HBH # the capper pic.twitter.com/6ePm4StnWl
– Capitals Horizons (@jon_m_sorensen) February 4, 2023
The winger scored his second goal Point of the month with a secondary pass on Bobby Nardella The equalizing goal in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 15th.
Mallenstein He scored his second goal of the month in the first half on February 26 against Belleville. He redirected a point shot again, this time from Vincent Yorio.
Beck Mallenstein redirected for his fifth goal of the season. The Bears lead 1-0 early in the 1st. #HBH # the capper pic.twitter.com/ju6zZc1ydY
– Capitals Horizons (@jon_m_sorensen) February 26, 2023
Mallenstein He was an essential part of Hershey’s effective fourth line and continues to bring energy and physicality to the game. another thing Mallenstein Continue to do is ban shots. Again and again, he throws his body in front of a shot to deflect it off target. This is really clear on the death penalty terms Mallenstein It usually blocks multiple shots per kill. Mallenstein He is one of the best penalty takers on the team and is often one of the first tackles on the boards when the Bears are shorthanded.
Monthly score: 3.5
He walks
Mallenstein He posted his second straight month of three-pointers to bring his season total to nine. He redirected Lukas Johansen’s shot to Hershey’s opening goal in Providence on March 11.
Redirected by Beck Malenstyn, the Bears took a 1-0 lead midway through the first. #HBH # the capper pic.twitter.com/cnhnUMOzJb
– Capitals Horizons (@jon_m_sorensen) March 12, 2023
Offense, however, is not where the winger makes his greatest contribution to the Bears. It comes on the death penalty. The unit showed significant improvement in March and Malecentine It was a big part of the hike.
The Delta, BC native is consistently one of the first forwards, usually with Riley Sutter, on the boards when Hershey’s shorthand. He is usually in the right position and is never afraid to put his body in front of a shot to deflect it off the net. Mallenstein He is one of the best killers on the team. It also brings a physical presence to the lineup and is a key component of the highly efficient and energetic fourth line.
Monthly score: 3.5
POSTSEASON
Malenstyn continued his pitching game in the postseason. The Bears fourth line was easily the best defensive line, as it should be, in the postseason. They pulled off Coachella Valley scorers on the ice when Bears coach Todd Nelson managed to line up.
Malenstyn’s penalty action was also top notch and a hugely important component of the Bears’ run to the Calder 12 Cup. Malenstyn continues to lead by example also in the postseason.
Monthly score: 3.5
Summary of monthly results
player expectation
Malenstyn settled on the left wing in the fourth line with the Capitals when he suffered a broken finger. All of the streak stats showed that the trio did well together, so it’s unfortunate that Malenstyn suffered the setback.
Fortunately, Malenstyn is leading the pack to take over the same spot on Opening Night this fall, and he’s a favorite in all categories. Alyaksi Protas also performed well in the position last season, but Protas can play on other lines. The best move would be to set Malenstyn on the left wing on the fourth line and move Protas to another location. For me, the left wing position in the fourth line is the position Malenstyn loses and I don’t expect that to happen.
Written by John Sorensen
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