With the Capitals needing to keep some low-priced players at the end of their roster, winger Beck Malenstyn was expected to push for a spot with Washington in training camp. That won’t be the case now as the team announced (Twitter link) over the weekend that he will miss the next six-to-eight months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. The injury was sustained during offseason training.
The 22-year-old made his NHL debut last season, getting into three games with the Caps. He was held off the scoresheet while collecting five hits but was invited back as part of their reserves for the postseason this past summer. Malenstyn spent most of the season with AHL Hershey, putting up seven goals and eight assists in 46 games while playing an energy and penalty killing role which is what Washington will need from their depth options. However, this timeline basically takes out his entire 2020-21 campaign before it even gets started.
Even with defenseman Michal Kempny out long-term after undergoing Achilles tendon surgery of his own which makes him LTIR-eligible, the Capitals will still have very limited cap space to work with to round out their roster. As things stand, wingers Daniel Sprong, Shane Gersich, and Daniel Carr plus center Michael Sgarbossa are all likely in the mix for the 12th and 13th forward positions due to their low price tag and the fact they’ve had some NHL experience although GM Brian MacLellan could opt to add a veteran free agent to that mix as well.