Vinnie Hinostroza won’t be going to market after all. The Buffalo Sabres have signed the pending free agent forward to a one-year, $1.7MM contract for 2022-23.
Hinostroza, 28, was a perfect fit for the Sabres this season, offering some solid secondary scoring in relatively limited minutes. His 13 goals and 25 points in 62 games came while averaging fewer than 14 minutes a game and seeing almost no time on the powerplay. While he’s not ever going to be a first-line player, Hinostroza offers a reliable option for the Sabres as they look to take the next step.
Originally selected in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, Hinostroza has actually carved out a nice little NHL career for himself to this point. In 334 career games, he has 51 goals and 137 points, with a career-high 39 coming with the Arizona Coyotes in 2018-19. For less than $2MM on a one-year deal, there is absolutely no risk involved for the Sabres, other than perhaps taking up a roster spot from one of their young forwards.
Even so, there had been mutual interest in a new deal for weeks (if not months) and it was hard to imagine Hinostroza getting a ton more money or opportunity on the open market.