Buffalo Sabres trade No. 43 pick for Beck Malenstyn

Washington Capitals forward projects as a bottom-of-the-line forward

The Sabres finally made a trade, but it’s not the one we really wanted. Buffalo’s roster still lacks that gutsy third-liner we crave, but the longer this goes on, the more we’re starting to think Peyton Krebs is the one who was designated for that role.

General manager Kevyn Adams traded one of his second-round picks to the Washington Capitals for forward Beck Malenstyn. He looks very much like a replacement for Zemgus Girgensson, with six goals and 21 points in 81 games. The 26-year-old finished fifth among all NHL shorthanded forwards last season, with the unrestricted player leading the Caps with 93 blocked shots.