Sabres Free Agent Forward Could Be Potential Target for NY Rangers

Which player from the Buffalo Sabres could be a good target in free agency for the New York Rangers?

Dec 17, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a Buffalo Sabres logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during the second period at Bell Centre. / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The offseason has started up, and the New York Rangers have seen a lot of moves around the league so far. With the draft coming up on Friday, there has been no shortage of player movement. 

Coming off the bad campaign, the Rangers are going to be highly invested in the NHL Draft. New York will be coming into the draft with two first-round picks and fifth and 26th overall. 

Due to the team lacking in prospect talent, the Rangers have to make sure that they can add some impact players for the future. The fifth pick should provide them with the chance to land one of the best players in the draft, and with how things are looking, that will likely be for the blue line. 

While that will help fill a need for the franchise, this is a team that has some holes in other areas also. As expected with the team having the worst record in the Eastern Conference, there is a lot of work to be done. With a lot of cap space, the Rangers will likely be aggressive once free agency kicks off, and there will be some players that can help in different areas. 

Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano recently wrote about the Rangers expressing interest in Buffalo Sabres free agent Beck Malenstyn. 

Malenstyn Could Help Bottom Six

Mar 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Buffalo Sabres left wing Beck Malenstyn (29) shoots on goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the first period at Crypto.com Arena. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

After the season was over, both Mike Sullivan and Chris Drury spoke about a desire for the team to improve their bottom six. This came as a bit of a surprise, with the top six figuring to be the area that they would be seeking improvements for. 

However, with free agency not being strong in that area and the trade market being expensive, the Rangers might not be able to address that. If that ends up being the case, strengthening the depth of their lines will be important, and Malenstyn could be an option. 

The physical forward from the Sabres totaled 14 points with seven goals and seven assists, but with 281 hits on the season, he is clearly a player who is looking to make an impact when on the ice. 

With the ability to put the puck in the net a little bit to go along with his physicality, he could help bring a bit of an edge to the bottom six for New York. If they are seeking to upgrade in that department and become more physical in their bottom six, Malenstyn is very capable of helping in that area.