Blue Jackets sign forward prospect to one-year extension

On Saturday, the Columbus Blue Jackets retained forward prospect James Malatesta, signing him to a one-year, two-way contract extension for the 2026-27 season. The agreement carries an NHL salary of $850,000 and an AHL salary of $95,000, according to PuckPedia.

Malatesta spent the entire 2025-26 campaign with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, recording 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points in 57 games. He also led the club with 87 penalty minutes, demonstrating the competitive intensity he has brought to his game at the professional level. The season was his first since turning pro without appearing in an NHL game.

The 5-foot-9, 190-pound winger has appeared in 13 career NHL contests with Columbus over the previous two seasons. During that span, he collected two goals and four points, along with five penalty minutes and 47 hits.

Though Malatesta earned recognition as a promising offensive prospect, he has yet to consistently produce at the professional level. He amassed eight goals and 14 points in 41 games with Cleveland in 2024-25 before finishing with 18 points this past season.

His physical style has become a defining part of his game. Over the last three seasons with the Monsters, Malatesta has accumulated 215 penalty minutes in 154 games, the highest total on the team during that stretch and more than 50 minutes ahead of the next-closest player, Roman Ahcan.

Before turning professional, Malatesta enjoyed considerable offensive success in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts. From 2020 to 2023, he tallief 142 points in 155 games, the third-most by a Remparts players since 2020 behind Theo Rochette and Zachary Bolduc.

The new contract gives Malatesta another opportunity to continue his development with Cleveland while working toward earning additional NHL opportunities with the Blue Jackets.

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