The Nashville Predators have recalled forward Vinnie Hinostroza from Milwaukee.
The 30-year-old Chicago native is not new to the NHL having played 374 NHL games since making his NHL debut on October 17, 2015 for his hometown Blackhawks. Over the course of nine seasons he has logged NHL minutes with the Arizona Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, and Pittsburgh Penguins as well.
Andrew Brunette and Vinnie Hinostroza crossed paths earlier in their respective careers when Brunette was an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers.
“I’ve had Vinnie when I was in Florida for a little bit so I’m pretty familiar with him,” Brunette said after Saturday’s practice. “He’s a great kid. He’s got really good skill and speed. I think he’s matured a lot as a player.”
“We’re looking forward to seeing him obviously going on the road here for awhile.”
The Predators will play their next five games on the road.
“We’re not sure exactly when we’ll see [Hinostroza],” Brunette said. “But I’m looking forward to seeing him.”
The Predators have played 11 forwards and 7 defensemen in their last two games with Cole Smith on IR with a lower body injury and Andrew Brunette giving newly acquired blue liner Justin Barron game minutes to get him up to speed.
Hinostroza has had a standout season with the Milwaukee Admirals scoring 11 goals and 33 points in his 26 games, making him the top points scorer in the entire league. Hinostroza scored a hat trick against Grand Rapids on December 20 to lead the Admirals to a 6-1 win.
It was a quick turnaround for Hinostroza who played Friday night for Milwaukee and flew to Nashville early Saturday morning.
“It was nice to jump right into it,” Hinostroza said after his first practice with the Predators.
Hinostroza credits Admirals head coach Karl Taylor and his teammates in Milwaukee for helping him land that top spot in the AHL in points and continue to improve his game.
“Karl’s helped me work on my details and also let me be free offensively and get back to enjoying playing the game,” Hinostroza shared.
“This year a lot’s clicking and my line mates have been great all year. I can’t just say it’s one thing or another. I think it’s just a lot of things that are going well.”
Barry Trotz signed Hinostroza as a free agent on July 1, 2024. The two year deal guarantees Hinostroza $1.55 million with an AAV on the two way deal of $775,000.
