Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

San Jose Sharks Acquire Vladislav Namestnikov

at CDT | by 11 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning and San Jose Sharks have completed a trade, sending veteran forward Vladislav Namestnikov to the Bay Area in exchange for Mikey Eyssimont. As part of the deal, Tampa Bay will retain 50% of Namestnikov’s $2.5MM cap hit.

Namestnikov, 30, is a pending unrestricted free agent, while Eyssimont, 26, will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the summer should the Lightning choose to extend him a qualifying offer. Eyssimont spent right around two months in San Jose, arriving there via a waiver claim from the Winnipeg Jets.

This is a deal that’s not the easiest to rationalize from the Sharks’ point of view. Eyssimont was responding well to a bump up in ice time since his arrival from Winnipeg and had scored eight points in 20 games for the Sharks. Coach David Quinn gave him an opportunity next to Logan Couture, and Eyssimont played pretty well, averaging nearly 15 minutes of ice time with some power play time to boot.

He’s an energetic, speedy forward who might not have an easy time cracking the Lightning’s lineup, but should be capable depth for their bottom six should a winger get injured. The Lightning cleared some cap space through this deal by sending away Namestnikov, who has been a healthy scratch, so that’s also a factor working in Tampa Bay’s favor with this deal.

For the Sharks, this trade exchanges a young player with a little bit of team control remaining for an older, more seasoned veteran. Namestnikov has scored 15 points in 57 games this season and impressed last year as a deadline acquisition of the Dallas Stars. What makes this trade odd, then, is the fact that the Sharks are making a short-term upgrade despite sitting 29th in league standings.

Perhaps Sharks general manager Mike Grier has identified Namestnikov as a player he’d like to keep beyond this season via a contract extension, or maybe Quinn, who coached Namestnikov in New York, wants to see what he can get out of the 610-game veteran. Maybe San Jose plans to offer to retain salary on Namestnikov and shop him to teams interested in acquiring some experienced depth at a cheap price. In any case, it’s not a deal that is likely to be hugely consequential unless the salary cap savings pave the way for a bigger deal to take place.

The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman was first to report this swap. 

Vegas Golden Knights Acquire Teddy Blueger

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Vegas Golden Knights are adding another versatile forward to their lineup, acquiring Teddy Blueger from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2024 third-round pick and 22-year-old blueliner Peter DiLiberatore.

The Golden Knights made a move to clear room on their roster for this trade earlier today, sending veteran forward Byron Froese to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.

Pittsburgh general manager Ron Hextall issued the following statement regarding this trade:

We are grateful for everything that Teddy has done for this team and the organization over the past 10 years. He was one of our most reliable penalty killers and a consummate professional. We wish him nothing but the best going forward.

Blueger is Vegas’ second addition to their forward corps in this trade deadline season, coming just a few days after the team sent 2021 first-rounder Zach Dean to the St. Louis Blues for Ivan Barbashev.

This move clears a roster spot on the Penguins’ roster at the cost of their fourth-line center. Blueger is playing on an expiring contract at a $2.2MM AAV, meaning the Penguins have also cleared that cap space off their books.

The Penguins have been rumored to be interested in pricer forwards such as Vancouver Canuck J.T. Miller, and this move, alongside Brock McGinn’s placement on waivers, gives the team some more wiggle room under the cap to make any desired additions.

In this trade, Pittsburgh has also added DiLiberatore, a 2018 sixth-round pick who has split time this season between the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate in Henderson and the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates. His contract expires at the end of this season.

By subtracting Blueger, the Penguins lose a capable 28-year-old fourth-line center who has been with the organization since he was made a second-round pick at the 2012 draft. After four productive seasons playing college hockey, Blueger put together three productive campaigns in the AHL before earning his first NHL call-up in 2018-19.

While he came too late to taste Stanley Cup glory during the team’s back-to-back championships, he has been a valuable down-the-lineup contributor to some competitive Penguins teams.

Blueger is a responsible two-way center who averages the most short-handed ice time of any Penguins forward this season. Per SinBin.Vegas, Blueger has started 87.2% of his shifts in the defensive zone this season, and he’ll be a reliable defensive specialist for coach Bruce Cassidy as he looks to lead the Golden Knights on a long playoff run.

He could replace Brett Howden in the team’s fourth-line center role, or fill in as the third-line center, allowing Chandler Stephenson to shift back to the wing.

Regardless of where he ultimately factors in on game day, this is a smart, if a tad pricey move for the Golden Knights. Adding Blueger gives the team a strong defensive forward to add to a penalty kill that ranks in the middle of the pack leaguewide.

For the Penguins, this deal lands them a decent draft pick as well as some more cap space to work with as they look for some upgrades on the trade market.

The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman was first to report that Blueger was headed to Vegas, while Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the core compensation headed to Pittsburgh.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ottawa Senators Acquire Jakob Chychrun

at CDT | by 31 Comments

One of the longest-running trade sagas in recent NHL history has finally reached its conclusion. The Ottawa Senators have acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes, per a team announcement. In exchange for the star defenseman, the Coyotes are receiving a 2023 first-round pick, a conditional 2024 second-round pick (originally acquired from the Washington Capitals) and a 2026 second-rounder.

There are some conditions in this deal to untangle. The 2023 first-rounder is top-five protected, meaning if the pick lands inside the top-five of the draft, it becomes an unprotected 2024 first-rounder. Additionally, if the Senators reach the 2023 Eastern Conference Final, the 2024 second-rounder (via WSH) becomes Ottawa’s 2024 first-rounder, top-10 protected. If that first-rounder ends up being inside the top-10 in that scenario, then the pick becomes a 2025 unprotected first-round pick.

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion had the following to say on the deal:

A defenceman we’ve coveted, Jakob is big and plays imposing. He possesses a quality skill set; he defends hard and is highly skilled. He uses his heavy shot with accuracy and is effective at creating offence as a threat at the offensive blue line.

At first glance, this looks like an extremely palatable price for the Senators to pay to acquire a top-pairing defenseman. Mattias Ekholm was recently traded for a first-rounder and a prospect recently drafted in the first round, while the Coyotes only managed to pry away one first-round pick in exchange for Chychrun. But as more and more contending teams interested in acquiring defensemen opted for other options (such as the Los Angeles Kings, who acquired Vladislav Gavrikov last night, or the Oilers, who got Ekholm) the market may have begun to shift into one more favorable to a buyer.

For the Coyotes, it’s a tough pill to swallow after over a year of anticipation for this trade. Chychrun is the team’s best defenseman and a legitimate top-pairing force on a bargain $4.6MM AAV deal through 2024-25.

Getting just one guaranteed first-rounder and two second-rounders, including one all the way in 2026, is a bit underwhelming, especially when one considers the fact that earlier today Filip Hronek returned a first-rounder and a second-rounder for this year’s draft.

The fact that just recently Nashville Predators grinder Tanner Jeannot cost the Tampa Bay Lightning a package of a player and five draft picks, including a first and second-rounder can’t make things easier for Coyotes fans as well.

The main redeeming element of this trade for the Coyotes is the upside this 2023 first-rounder has. With the Senators currently on the outside of the playoff picture in an Eastern Conference loaded with contending teams, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Senators stumble and send Arizona a pick inside the top ten. If that ends up happening, then this price isn’t totally out of line with what the Senators paid for Alex DeBrincat last summer. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also notes that the Coyotes placed value in the fact that Ottawa didn’t require them to take any money back as part of this deal, which is a relatively rare sight in today’s flat-cap world.

While this return might be a bit disappointing for the Coyotes, it remains a valuable contribution to the war chest of draft picks they have stockpiled in recent years. They currently have the rights to four second-round picks in both the 2024 and 2025 drafts, and will have the chance to make two high picks in what is considered an extremely talented 2023 draft. So although after such a long wait this return will undoubtedly feel underwhelming, it does inch the team a little closer to their goal of loading up their organization with an army of talented young players.

For the Senators, this trade accomplishes the team’s long-held goal of upgrading their defense, and at a relatively affordable price to boot. Dorion surrendered the same amount of first-round draft picks to acquire Chychrun (a better defenseman with extra years of affordable team control) as the Panthers surrendered to acquire Ben Chiarot at last year’s deadline. While Chychrun hasn’t played in quite a while, held out for trade-related reasons, he has a healthy 28 points in 36 games this season.

Chychrun scored 18 goals and 41 points in just 56 games during the 2020-21 season, flashing number-one defenseman ability. While his struggles to stay healthy since that point have cost him the chance to truly establish himself among the league’s elite defenseman, he’s a mid-twenties, team-controlled two-way blueliner who can capably handle 23-plus minutes a night. There’s not a team in the NHL that wouldn’t benefit from adding a defenseman like him.

With Chychrun now in the mix alongside Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub, and Jake Sanderson, the Senators now have a formidable group of top-four defensemen. While it definitely hurts to give up a possible top-ten pick, it’s clear that the Senators’ rebuild is meant to be over, and that finally returning to the playoffs is the goal. While it may not happen this season, this addition of Chychrun gives the Senators quite a boost as they look to make noise in a crowded Atlantic Division for next year.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Los Angeles Kings Acquire Erik Portillo

at CDT | by 17 Comments

The Buffalo Sabres have traded the rights to University of Michigan netminder Erik Portillo to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick, per a team announcement.

This move comes amid widespread speculation that Portillo would opt to test the college free-agent market rather than sign with the Sabres, who drafted him 67th overall at the 2019 draft. The Sabres have arguably the best goalie prospect in hockey, Northeastern University’s Devon Levi, so it’s possible that the presence of Levi in Buffalo’s pipeline played a role in Portillo looking elsewhere for his NHL future.

Important to note is the fact that this deal does not guarantee that Portillo will end up signing with the Kings. The Buffalo Sabres traded a third-round pick for the rights to Jimmy Vesey in the summer of 2016, only for him to sign with the New York Rangers shortly afterwards.

But while the Sabres already have Levi in their pipeline, The Kings don’t have quite the same big-name goalie prospect already in the mix for Portillo to have to contend with for “goalie of the future” status.

If the Kings do end up signing Portillo, they’ll land a quality prospect who The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked as the seventh-best prospect in a talented Sabres system. (subscription link) Portillo is a six-foot-six netminder who has been the starter at Michigan for the past two seasons. Last year, Portillo posted impressive numbers, going 31-10-1 with a .926 save percentage and 2.14 goals-against-average. His numbers have suffered a bit this season, but scouts remain impressed with his imposing size, quality puck-handling ability, and sneaky athleticism.

This is the second trade of the day where the Kings acquired a netminder. While today’s acquisition of Joonas Korpisalo was about helping their organization’s goalie situation in the short-term, today’s deal is designed to give them a potential long-term solution. It’s a worthy investment of a third-round pick assuming they get his signature on an entry-level deal, and a nice refund for the Sabres who likely weren’t signing him anyway and already have Levi, Luukkonen, and others to focus their developmental efforts on.

West Notes: Karlsson, Chychrun, McDonough

at CDT | by 7 Comments

With Timo Meier already out the door, many have wondered if even more big changes will be coming to the San Jose Sharks before Friday’s trade deadline. More specifically, many have wondered if two-time Norris Trophy winner and leading defensive scorer Erik Karlsson could be traded. According to Karlsson himself, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be a possibility. In speaking to The Athletic’s Corey Masisiak, Karlsson said “it would be weird” if Sharks GM Mike Grier asked him to waive his no-trade clause just a few days before the deadline, indicating that it would be a complete shock at this point if he were dealt in the next few days.

While the 32-year-old has had a vintage season (he’s on pace to score 105 points) Karlsson’s $11.5MM cap hit through the 2026-27 season has seemingly presented a significant obstacle toward finding an agreeable trade. The Edmonton Oilers have been widely rumored as having had interest in acquiring Karlsson, only for any trade talks to stall once the issue of retained salary came under the microscope. Despite his stellar play, it could be the Sharks’ reported unwillingness to retain a major chunk of Karlsson’s average annual salary (more than $1-2MM per year) that has thrown a wrench in any blockbuster mid-season deal happening.

  • With Karlsson seemingly off the market, the top defenseman on the market before Friday’s deadline is widely considered to be Arizona Coyotes blueliner Jakob Chychrun. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta issued an update on Chychrun’s status, tweeting that trade “talk has picked up,” although no trade is expected to be imminent. He also adds that the Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, and Carolina Hurricanes are “three of the teams very much in the mix” to acquire Chychrun.
  • Northeastern University captain Aidan McDonough has had a strong senior season for the Huskies, scoring 36 points in 31 games, and is nearing a significant decision regarding his professional career. He’ll have the ability to choose his pro destination this summer and could potentially sign with a different team besides the Vancouver Canucks, the club that selected him 195th overall at the 2019 draft. Per CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, McDonough “is still very open to signing in VAN,” and his ultimate decision is “not far away.” It’s likely that quite a few teams would be interested in adding McDonough, so should Vancouver get him it would be a quality addition to their prospect system.

Edmonton Oilers Loan Devin Shore To AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers have announced that forward Devin Shore has been loaned to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. Shore was originally called up to the Oilers on February 18th. This move signals that Klim Kostin is likely ready to return to the lineup after an injury-related absence.

The 28-year-old is a veteran of over 400 NHL games and managed to get into coach Jay Woodcroft’s Oilers lineup four times in this stint on their roster. Shore played reasonably well, getting between seven and a half and thirteen minutes of ice time per game.

He registered an assist and scored a goal, and the Oilers went 2-1-1- during his time in their lineup. While he’s spent the majority of his season at the NHL level and therefore can’t be entirely thrilled about heading back to the minor leagues, he is firmly in a position to be called back up to the active roster.

In 33 games this season, Shore has five points. He’s been more of a difference-maker at the AHL level, though, where he has five points in five games.

It’s been Shore’s first bit of AHL action since 2015-16 when he played for the Texas Stars, and he’s performed quite well, cementing his status as a viable depth option for Edmonton. Shore is a pending unrestricted free agent who is making $850k against the cap this season.

Vegas Golden Knights Acquire Ivan Barbashev

at CDT | by 10 Comments

The Vegas Golden Knights have acquired forward Ivan Barbashev from the St. Louis Blues. The Blues will receive prospect Zach Dean in return. Barbashev is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $2.25MM cap hit.

This move takes another quality name off the trade board in advance of Friday’s deadline and is the third trade the Blues have made this month, following the departures of Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly.

Worth noting is that this deal is not expected to take to the Golden Knights out of the running for San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier, whose trade saga was reported today to be down to just two teams: Vegas and the New Jersey Devils.

Adding Barbashev gives Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy a talented, versatile option to plug into his forward corps. Injuries have forced Vegas to play Michael Amadio as a top-six winger as of late, and has forced top scorer Chandler Stephenson into the third-line center role in between Phil Kessel and William Carrier.

Barbashev can play center and the wing, so Cassidy could choose to play him in Amadio’s spot or even shift him to third-line center, allowing Stephenson to return to a role as a top-six winger. Barbashev has had success in both roles, scoring 26 goals and 60 points last season playing quite often as a winger alongside other scoring forwards.

He’s also had success playing as a two-way center, and is able to play on both special teams units. While Barbashev’s production is down from last season (he has 10 goals and 29 points in 59 games this year) he remains a valuable, versatile two-way player who can help fill needs as they pop up in Vegas’ lineup.

His jack-of-all-trades abilities should help Vegas as they seek to return to the playoffs, and as they get healthier, his value to their team will only grow.

For St. Louis, nabbing Dean for an expiring contract is a nice cherry on top of what was already a successful trade season. The 20-year-old forward was selected 30th overall in 2021, and was recently showcased as a member of the Canadian World Junior team. He ended up with 33 penalty minutes in the short tournament because of an illegal check to the head as he played his signature brand of physical, high-energy hockey. Dean has recorded 49 points in 38 games for the Gatineau Olympiques this season.

Vegas continues to trade away top prospects for players they believe can get them closer to a Stanley Cup in the short term. Dean joins Peyton Krebs, Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki, and Erik Brannstrom as first-round selections that have been traded since the team’s expansion. Only Brendan Brisson remains from the six players they’ve selected in the first round, and one would expect he is likely involved in any Meier talks.

TSN’s Darren Dreger first broke the trade on Twitter.

Stars, Canadiens Swap Denis Gurianov, Evgenii Dadonov

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Montreal Canadiens have acquired forward Denis Gurianov from the Dallas Stars in exchange for veteran forward Evgenii Dadonov. Per the team announcement, the Canadiens will retain 50% of Dadonov’s $5MM cap hit.

This move re-unites Dadonov with Stars head coach Peter DeBoer, who was Dadonov’s coach with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. While Dadonov has had his fair share of struggles this season (he has just 18 points in 50 games) DeBoer had a front-row seat last season for some of the best play Dadonov has to offer.

With the Golden Knights ravaged by injuries and Dadonov himself nearly traded away to the Anaheim Ducks, the Russian winger at times played like Vegas’ best player, scoring at a strong rate and keeping the team in the playoff hunt far deeper into the year than many might have expected. He finished last season with 20 goals and 43 points and has a 70-point season on his resume.

While Dadonov’s struggles this season might give some fans pause, it is worth noting that Dadonov’s play has been noticeably better of late.

He remains someone who has scored at least 40 points in three of five seasons since returning from the KHL, including two years where he scored at least 65 points.

The Stars have a far more talented set of offensive weapons than the Canadiens can boast, so it’s easy to see why DeBoer, given his familiarity with Dadonov, would be comfortable acquiring the winger despite Dadonov’s struggles this season.

It’s not immediately clear where Dadonov will slot in on Dallas’ lineup, as he may not be the best fit on the team’s fourth line, where Gurianov was playing.

Perhaps he’ll get a look next to Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn in Ty Dellandrea’s right-wing spot should DeBoer choose to shift Dellandrea down the lineup, or this Dadonov deal could have been made with the intention of him serving as plug-and-play scoring depth should any of their established wingers be unavailable.

CapFriendly notes that this trade leaves the team with just over $2.1MM in deadline cap space, which is enough space for the Stars to be able to add another player should they choose to do so.

While Dadonov is a pending unrestricted free agent, Gurianov is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent. For the Canadiens, this trade lands them a reclamation project, possibly a preferable option to the mid-to-late-round pick Dadonov would likely have net them had they targeted just a pick.

The 25-year-old winger was the 12th overall pick at the 2015 draft, and he has been a maddeningly inconsistent scorer. He has been excellent at times, such as the 2020 playoffs where he scored 17 points in 27 games, helping the Stars reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Other times, he has frustrated the Stars with his inconsistent night-to-night effort and inability to land on the scoresheet with any sort of regularity despite his tantalizing offensive tools.

The Canadiens’ 2022-23 season is all about player development, and the team has made significant investments in the area of player development under the leadership of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes.

Head coach Martin St. Louis’ reputation as a developer of talent is on the rise, with his work on Cole Caufield and Kirby Dach, among others, garnering praise. Accordingly, targeting Gurianov rather than just a draft pick is a show of faith by the team’s front office in their coaching staff’s ability to develop players.

It’s no guarantee that Gurianov will be in Montreal for the long haul. With a $2.9MM qualifying offer required in the summer in order for the Canadiens to retain Gurianov’s rights, it’s possible that he’s not even a Canadien beyond this season. But for a team whose player development goals have been dealt a serious blow due to injuries, adding Gurianov is a worthy gamble.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Timo Meier

at CDT | by 8 Comments

The Timo Meier trade saga seems to be finally reaching a conclusion. While no trade is believed to be imminent, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the San Jose Sharks “are down to two teams” in Meier trade talks: The New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights.

LeBrun does note that the situation remains fluid, meaning nothing is final until trade calls have been made to the league and the paperwork has been filed, but it does seem as though those two teams are the final two in the mix for Meier, and that the Carolina Hurricanes have been eliminated from consideration.

These reports should not come as a major surprise, as yesterday we covered reports that the Devils were leading the pack in the chase for Meier. But today’s news that the Hurricanes are out of the running for Meier does come as a major development.

The Hurricanes have been active in the chase of a scoring winger ever since Max Pacioretty was lost for the season with another Achilles injury, and Meier was viewed as one of their top targets not only for his skills but also due to how well his age fits in with the Hurricanes’ other star players.

Now, they’ll likely have to look elsewhere to find scoring help, which could mean inquiring on the availability of other scoring wingers such as Brock Boeser, James van Riemsdyk, or even a reunion with last year’s trade deadline add: Max Domi.

In addition to seeking scoring help, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the Hurricanes have made calls in recent days looking to acquire a left-shot defenseman as well, presumably to find an upgrade for their third pairing.

For Vegas and New Jersey, this development is an important step forward in their chase of Meier. They now reportedly have just each other to compete with in making trade offers for Meier, meaning each is within striking distance of acquiring the talented Swiss power forward.

New Jersey has the advantage over Vegas in terms of prospects it can offer, as the team has the NHL’s second-ranked prospect system according to the Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, while Vegas ranks 23rd. (subscription link)

Assuming top-end pieces such as Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec are off the table, the Devils have 2020 seventh-overall pick Alexander Holtz to offer, as well as other talented youngsters such as 2022 second-rounder Seamus Casey, 2020 first-rounder Shakir Mukhamadullin, top AHL scorer Graeme Clarke, or other first-rounders such as Nolan Foote and Chase Stillman.

For Vegas, the best prospects they have to offer to San Jose, beyond just the draft picks presumed to be present in both teams’ trade offers, are first-round picks Brendan Brisson and Zach Dean, or breakout AHLers Pavel Dorofeyev and Lukas Cormier. That’s a quartet of talented players to headline a system, but not quite the wealth of options New Jersey can boast.

Worth noting is the fact that Vegas not only shares a division with San Jose, they also are one of the team’s fiercest rivals. While it’s definitely reasonable to expect some fans to accept a Meier-to-Vegas trade if taking Vegas’ offer is in the best interests of the Sharks, it’s also easy to see a significant portion of the fanbase in uproar should the team’s most talented forward be handed over to such a hated rival.

One wonders, then, if the Sharks will require a higher standard of offer from the Golden Knights in order to be willing to trade him in-division, and how much higher that expectation might be.

It’s a difficult situation for each involved team to be in, as there are risks to any course of action when such high-end pieces move teams. But for all three teams in the mix for Meier, these next few days offer significant opportunity, and a chance for each franchise to take a significant step towards achieving its goals.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Buffalo Sabres Recall Vinnie Hinostroza

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In a development that was reported last night, the Buffalo Sabres have placed star winger Alex Tuch on injured reserve. For his place on their active roster, the Sabres have called up winger Vinnie Hinostroza from their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Tuch is out on a week-to-week basis, while Rasmus Dahlin will also not play today as he deals with a minor inj

Hinostroza cleared waivers on January 19th to be sent to the AHL, and a few days earlier it was reported that the Sabres were making calls around the league to try to find Hinostroza a place to play, as he had spent significant time as a healthy scratch.

Hinostroza ultimately didn’t find an NHL landing spot and reported to the AHL, and now finds himself back on the Sabres’ roster after Tuch’s injury.

The 28-year-old forward has built a solid career for himself as a 2012 sixth-round pick.

He was a point-per-game scorer in college with Notre Dame, and scored 51 points in his first full AHL season, landing him on the Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL roster.

His first 49 games in the NHL were not quite the resounding success he had found in the AHL, and he ended up an up-and-down depth piece until he was dealt to the Arizona Coyotes in the Marian Hossa trade.

Hinostroza was quite good in his first season in Arizona, scoring 16 goals and 39 points, but the following year his production declined and the Coyotes let him walk in free agency. He signed with the Florida Panthers in 2020, but was traded to the Blackhawks after playing just nine games in a Panthers uniform. Hinostroza scored 12 points in 17 games with Chicago to close his year on a positive note.

In the Summer of 2021, the Sabres inked Hinostroza to a one-year $1.05MM deal, and he scored 13 goals and 25 points in 62 games, leading to a one-year extension and a modest pay raise to $1.7MM. As mentioned, though, this season Hinostroza has spent time as a healthy scratch, scored eight points in 19 NHL games, and cleared waivers.

Sabres head coach Don Granato could play Hinostroza in Tuch’s vacated role on Buffalo’s top line with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner, or he could opt to plug Rasmus Asplund in a spot lower on the Sabres’ lineup and bump up a winger such as Kyle Okposo, Jack Quinn, or Casey Mittelstadt, leaving Hinostroza a likely healthy scratch.

This recall of Hinostroza gives Granato an additional option, as well as possibly giving Hinostroza another chance to showcase his skills for NHL teams, something especially important for his future as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top