If James Malatesta can put it all together, he’s going to be a force in the NHL.
Malatesta turned pro last season after spending four outstanding years with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. After amassing 187 points in junior and winning the QMJHL playoff MVP, he was off to the pros. He would total 56 goals if you take into account all the games he played in the Q, Q playoffs, and Memorial Cup.
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James Malatesta played in 56 games for the Cleveland Monsters in his rookie season. He would score 12 goals and total 22 points. He has a motor that never quits and can skate really well, and it showed. Malatesta finished 11th on the team in scoring and 10th in games played. He did have a team-high 79 PIMs though, which is how he plays his game.
Late in the season, in a surprising move, Malatesta was called up to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Due to the injury situation, Malatesta and several other Monsters got an opportunity to play some real NHL minutes.
He would make his NHL debut on March 26th against the Arizona Coyotes. He didn’t get on the score sheet, but he did make his presence known. He would get 11:43 of ice time and get into a fight. Not a bad night.
Malatesta would get his first NHL point against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 6th, an assist. He played 10:58.
On April 13th in Smashville, after playing 9 games, he would have a career game. He played 12:55, had 3 shots, and scored his first goal. He also added an assist in the loss to the Predators. He was flying around the ice all night, he was fun to watch.
The next game, the season finale at home against the Carolina Hurricanes, he would again have a good game. Malatesta scored his 2nd NHL goal while playing 13:01 on the ice. He is making himself highly visible.
He was returned to the Monsters after the CBJ season to help them win their division and the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Malatesta only played 9 games throughout the playoffs, scoring only a single goal and adding one assist.
Malatesta will come to fall camp and try to make the CBJ. As a third or fourth-line winger, he has a solid chance to disrupt in terms of playing time. No one has him listed as a potential night-one starter when the season starts.
Does he have a chance to make the team? Many say no, but I wouldn’t count him out If I were you.
What do you think? Please share your thoughts on our forum.
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