Beck Malenstyn’s first choice appears to be remaining with the Buffalo Sabres. Still, the Delta product sounds willing to listen if the Vancouver Canucks call when free agency opens.

During an appearance on Donnie and Dhali, Malenstyn called re-signing in Buffalo “first and foremost a priority.”

“It’s definitely a place that I would love to stay, love to keep playing in,” Malenstyn said. “At this current stage, I’m just focused on trying to make it work to stay there.”

About the possibility of signing with Vancouver, Malenstyn confirmed he grew up a Canucks fan and remembered the city rallying around the team’s 2011 Stanley Cup run.

“I’ve never put too much thought into it, being that this is the first time,” he said. “But, in a world where that situation comes about, obviously it would be an interesting one for me.”

That interest could very well be mutual.

Malenstyn finished 2025-26 with seven goals and 14 points in 81 games, then added three points in 13 playoff appearances. Those totals placed him outside Daily Faceoff’s top 50 unrestricted free agents, but his value comes from the intangibles he provides. At 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, Malenstyn has totalled nearly 200 hits per season since becoming a full time NHLer three seasons ago.

The 28-year-old established a Sabres record with 282 hits this past campaign, ranking fifth among all NHL skaters. He also blocked 75 shots, second among Buffalo forwards.

There is legitimate top-end speed behind that physicality. NHL EDGE tracked Malenstyn’s maximum playoff speed at 36.55 kilometres per hour, placing him in the 86th percentile. His bursts between 32 and 35 kilometres per hour ranked in the 81st percentile. Buffalo also credited him with the fastest sustained speed recorded during the EDGE era at 40.12 kilometres per hour on March 12 against the Washington Capitals. In a system where new coach Manny Malhotra has emphasized speed, Malenstyn might fit that bill.

The Canucks are also looking for help on the penalty kill. Malenstyn averaged 1:48 of shorthanded ice time with Buffalo and scored once while down a man. The Sabres finished fourth in NHL penalty-killing percentage at 81.9 per cent. He has handled even larger workloads before, ranking fifth among NHL forwards with 211:32 of shorthanded time for Washington in 2023-24.

Vancouver already projects to have 13 forwards under contract, and Malenstyn would add another left-shot winger to a crowded group. But he could replace some of Teddy Blueger’s penalty-killing minutes and give the fourth line a faster, heavier presence and is just two seasons removed from a 21-point campaign.

His agent, J.P. Barry, also represents Filip Chytil and pending depth free agents Alexander Kerfoot, Carl Grundstrom, Tyson Jost, Curtis Lazar, Tomas Nosek, and Kailer Yamamoto. Vancouver should have several alternatives available through the same agency if Malenstyn’s preference remains Buffalo.

The rising cap creates room for a more creative offer. The ceiling climbs to $104 million next season and is projected to reach $113.5 million in 2027-28. Vancouver has approximately $22 million available to spend this summer.

One option would be offering Malenstyn a one-year contract between $3 million and $4 million, then giving him increased five-on-five and penalty-killing minutes. If he adds offence, Vancouver could retain 50 per cent at the trade deadline and offer contenders a fast, physical playoff winger at a $1.5-million to $2-million cap hit.

Buffalo originally paid a second-round selection for Malenstyn to acquire him from Washington. If the Canucks could replicate that process in a deadline or two, they should actively pursue it.