James Malatesta

Malatesta had no points in two outings with Columbus in 2024-25, and he primarily played for AHL Cleveland, where he recorded eight goals, 14 points and 49 PIM across 41 regular-season appearances. Taken with the No. 133 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Malatesta hasn’t displayed much offense at even the AHL level, and while he has shown a willingness to be physical, a lack of size at 5-foot-9 might make it hard for him to make it in the NHL as a bottom-six enforcer. Still, he’s just 22 years old and showed promise back in juniors as the QMJHL Playoff MVP and the CHL Memorial Cup MVP in 2022-23 with the Quebec Remparts, so it’s too early to write him off. Read Past Outlooks