The Capitals are on their third and final day off between Sunday’s win over the Kings and Thursday’s matchup with the Kraken, so Brian Mitchell & JP Finlay had winger Beck Malenstyn on Wednesday to chop it up about a little puck!
And it’s going to be a big year for Malenstyn in 2024, as he’s in his true rookie year with the Caps after limited action in the last few seasons, and he’s about to become a dad as well!
“It’s been great; this being my kind of first full year here in Washington, really just trying to soak it in and enjoy it,” Malenstyn said. “The team's been doing well, everything’s going good, and my wife is due here at the end of the month, so we're right into that waiting game now of any day.”
A lot to juggle now, but wait until the family expands, right?
“So far it's been all right; the staff and my teammates are obviously all super-supportive, and plenty of guys have been through it before,” Malenstyn said, “and then, you know, tons of credit to my wife. She's doing an amazing job at home and for the most part has been feeling pretty solid, so we're hoping that it's gonna be a pretty easy transition for us.”
Malenstyn is from the Vancouver area and his wife is from Banff, Alberta, so luckily for them, both sets of grandparents will be able to head to DC for a bit to help out with the new addition.
That will let Beck focus on growing into his role as a rookie,
“Throughout junior hockey and coming into the pros, we've played heavy amount of games before, but it's definitely been an adjustment for me,” Malenstyn said. “It’s realizing we’re playing some important minutes, so how can I be at my freshest all the time? A lot of that work comes away from the rink or off the ice, taking care of the body to be ready as best you can once those games start. And then, the biggest thing for me is just controlling myself out there; I’m someone who likes to be physical, but trying to maybe pick my moments a little bit more so I'm not taking myself out and having to work extra.”
Take a listen to Malenstyn’s entire segment above, where he touches on the Caps’ upcoming schedule, his time with the Calgary Hitmen (much to JP’s delight), thoughts on some of his marquee teammates, and much more!