Wild Claim Former Predators Forward

The Minnesota Wild added a former Nashville Predators forward to their NHL roster.

Jan 14, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Vinnie Hinostroza (12) warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Wild added a new forward to their NHL roster thanks to the waiver wire. After the Nashville Predators placed veteran winger Vinnie Hinostroza on waivers, the Wild jumped on the available player and claimed him.

The Wild now have another forward with NHL experience to add to their lineup. The team has been looking for more scoring punch over the last few weeks. The Wild sorely miss superstar Kirill Kaprizov as he recovers from surgery on a lower-body injury and their offense is in poor shape. The addition of Hinostroza is not a one-to-one replacement for Kaprizov, but it gives the team some options as they push through a rough stretch of games.

Minnesota claims Hinostroza

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 5, 2025

Hinostroza has played in 13 games during the 2024-2025 campaign so far. In those contests, he's accumulated zero goals and two assists, while averaging 11:32 minutes of ice-time.

The 30-year-old Hinostroza is a veteran of the NHL with stops at multiple organizations. Last season, he played 14 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and spent the rest of the campaign with the team's American Hockey League affiliate.

Before that, he spent two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. During his tenure in Buffalo, he recorded one of his best offensive campaigns. Over 62 games played in 2021-2022, Hinostroza scored 13 goals and added 12 assists for 25 points.

His career best season came with the Arizona Coyotes back in 2018-2019. Playing in 72 games and averaging over 15 minutes of ice-time, he scored 16 goals and added 23 assists to finish with 39 points.

Now he gets the opportunity to impress with the Wild. He should receive a hefty opportunity for ice-time while Kaprizov remains out, and with the team trying to hang onto their spot in the Central Division and Western Conference playoff race Hinostroza can hopefully find a burst of productivity to help the Wild.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• Trade Buzz Growing Around Avalanche Center
• Penguins' Sidney Crosby Misses Practice After Injury
• Canucks Defenseman Available for Trade
• Canucks Goalie Getting Season Back on Track
• Jets Lead NHL Player's No-Trade Lists