CHICAGO – A key figure in the Buffalo Sabres’ resurgence late last season might be playing elsewhere soon.
Sources confirmed to The Buffalo News on Tuesday morning that General Manager Kevyn Adams has spoken to other teams in the NHL to gauge their interest in acquiring veteran winger Vinnie Hinostroza. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the Sabres were trying to find Hinostroza playing time elsewhere.
A 28-year-old winger, Hinostroza has been a healthy scratch in 16 of the past 21 games because the Sabres have been relatively healthy at forward all season. He returned to Buffalo on a one-year contract in July after appearing in 62 games with the club in 2021-22.
Hinostroza was a priority re-signing for the Sabres in the summer because of his leadership, practice habits and effectiveness as a versatile forward. However, the promotions of rookie wingers Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka, as well as the addition of forward Tyson Jost on waivers, has limited Hinostroza to only 19 games this season. He has eight assists with a plus-2 rating while averaging 12:15 of ice time when he’s in the lineup.
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The Sabres don’t want to waive another player to continue to carry goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Eric Comrie and Craig Anderson on the roster. The Florida Panthers claimed defenseman Casey Fitzgerald last week. Trading Hinostroza would clear the log jam at forward and help Adams add another draft pick. Adams also wants to do right by Hinostroza, who was eager to return to Buffalo for a second season.
Neither Adams nor coach Don Granato want to continue to rotate Quinn, Peterka and Peyton Krebs, three young, waivers-exempt forwards, out of the lineup when it’s Luukkonen’s turn to start. There’s risk in losing an important depth forward like Hinostroza, who is amid his eighth NHL season.
Hinostroza, after all, was an important catalyst for change upon joining the Sabres in the summer of 2021. His intensity and competitiveness in practice set an example for young players on the roster. At 5-foot-10, Hinostroza had to work relentlessly to earn a full-time job in the league after he was drafted in the sixth round by his hometown Chicago Blackhawks in 2012. He’s revered by teammates for his work ethic and sense of humor.
His return to Buffalo’s lineup in March provided center Dylan Cozens with a fast, reliable winger to skate with in 5-on-5 situations. Hinostroza helped further the development of Cozens, who is expected to be a franchise cornerstone.
The Sabres brought Hinostroza back as insurance in case either Quinn or Peterka weren’t ready to make the full-time jump to the NHL this season. Hinostroza accepted a one-year pact knowing there would be a competition in training camp for ice time and the Sabres planned to give their young players every opportunity to carve out significant roles.
However, Quinn and Peterka immediately earned spots on the roster, and the Sabres have remained healthy up front. Hinostroza was back in the lineup last week because Granato wanted to sit the two rookie wingers for two games for what he called a “developmental opportunity.”
“Any guy that sits out as long as Aspy [Rasmus Asplund] and Vinnie, it’s a tough situation,” said Granato, who previously coached Hinostroza in Chicago. “There’s nothing worse as a coach, for me personally, than to sit a guy that you know is a competitor and works and he’s a good teammate, and both those guys are. It’s not fun to do that, but you only have 20 roster spots.
“So, for Vinnie, I know competitively he’s not happy. He’s not satisfied being out of the lineup. It’s a challenge to keep yourself ready to go. But when you look at the big picture of an NHL season, what players in that position have to do is be ready for their opportunity because the opportunity’s going to come. We just can’t tell you exactly which game, which night. But we know in an 82-game season, it’s going to come. Until that happens, it’s a tough situation I think specifically for him or a player in that situation.”
Hinostroza had six shots on goal, including four against Seattle, while averaging 11:22 of ice time in three games last week. Teams will be interested, but some are too close to the salary-cap ceiling to add Hinostroza’s $1.7 million salary without trading a player.
If Hinostroza leaves, the Sabres have a few forwards in Rochester who could be called upon to fill a depth role, including Anders Bjork, Brandon Biro, Linus Weissbach and Brett Murray.
