James Malatesta has already shown the kind of game that can make him hard to ignore. The Blue Jackets drafted him 133rd overall in 2021, and since then he’s built a reputation around pace, energy, and a willingness to play right on the edge.
He turned pro in 2023 after four strong seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, where he piled up 187 points and earned playoff MVP honors. Add it all up - the Q regular season, the playoffs, and the Memorial Cup - and he scored 56 goals along the way. That production opened the door to the next level.
His first full pro season came with the Cleveland Monsters, where he played 56 games as a rookie and put up 12 goals and 22 points. He finished 11th on the team in scoring and 10th in games played, but he also led Cleveland with 79 PIMs, which fits the way he plays. He skates well, he keeps his motor running, and he brings a physical edge every night.
That style earned him a late-season call-up to Columbus, and the injury situation gave him a chance to see real NHL minutes. He picked up his first NHL point on April 6 against the Philadelphia Flyers, an assist in 10:58 of ice time.
A week later in Smashville, he had the best game of his young NHL career: 12:55 on the ice, three shots, his first goal, and an assist in a loss to the Predators. He followed that up in the season finale at home against the Carolina Hurricanes, scoring again while logging 13:01.
After that, he went back to Cleveland to help with the division race and the Calder Cup Playoffs. He appeared in only nine playoff games, finishing with one goal and one assist.
The 2024-25 season was tougher. Malatesta played two games for Columbus in December, averaged around 10:30 of ice time, and didn’t record a point.
In Cleveland, he managed just 41 games and 14 points after an upper-body injury kept him out until March. Between the injury and a sophomore slump, it wasn’t the season he wanted.
Even so, last season he set a career high with 57 games played, scored 10 goals, and totaled 18 points. He also set a career-best with 87 PIMs. Columbus signed him to a one-year extension last month, and he’ll be an RFA again at the end of 2027.
The question now is whether he gets another real look with the Blue Jackets. With Mathieu Olivier and Ryan Lomberg already on the roster, that path doesn’t look simple.
But Malatesta’s case is straightforward: he’s not being asked to score 25 goals or pile up 50 points. He’s expected to contribute, bring some offense, and make life uncomfortable for opponents.
His scouting report backs that up. His skating stands out, with strong acceleration, speed, and the ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone.
He plays with energy and intensity, throws hits, battles hard for pucks, and creates turnovers. His wrist shot is quick and accurate, and he can finish on the move, especially on odd-man rushes.
He also has a knack for finding open ice and jumping on chances.
The rough edges are there too. He needs cleaner decision-making, better passing, and stronger off-puck play, and his physical style can lead to bad penalties.
He doesn’t have the vision or creativity of a top-tier playmaker, and his production can come and go. Still, the overall profile is clear: a prospect with a high floor and a real chance to become a reliable bottom-six forward.
If he can put it all together, he could push for a roster spot in Columbus. But first, he has to prove it in 26-27.
Many say he won’t make the team. I wouldn’t count him out.
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But the longer view is where things get tricky. A cap projection for the 2028-29 summer leaves the Jackets with only so much room to work with, and the real squeeze arrives as Zach Werenskis deal runs out at the end of that season. With several young players still needing to fit into the picture by then, Columbus may eventually have to make a painful choice about which piece of its core it can afford to keep together. [Read more 🡒]