Buffalo Sabres can still find a trade partner for Vinnie Hinostroza
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres waived forward Vinnie Hinostroza, but with none of the other 31 teams claiming him, they re-signed him to Rochester.
After clearing waivers on Thursday, forward Vinnie Hinostroza has officially been re-signed to the Rochester Americans, where he could end up reporting within the next week. However, Lance Lysowski of Buffalo News stated it won’t be this weekend, as the Sabres are still looking for a team to trade him to.
This won’t be an easy task, however, since no organization saw it fit to claim Hinostroza at the moment, so it’s likely that Buffalo could eventually package as opposed to simply trading him. Such a package could involve draft picks and even current prospects as the Sabres continue to look for a suitor for Hinostroza’s services.
Buffalo Sabres seek an opportunity for Hinostroza
Logistically, Hinostroza will remain in Rochester until a likely contender sees an injury to their bottom six. At this point, they could call the Sabres and inquire about Hinostroza’s services. Here, Buffalo would either trade him, or in a likelier case, package him with a little more real estate.
Note that this wouldn’t be a blockbuster trade. But with both Hinostroza and goaltender Erik Portillo (whose rights the Sabres still own), don’t be surprised if you see a little more movement here.
Packaging Portillo with Hinostroza could be worth exploring if a potential trading partner believes they can sway the former to sign with them by July 2023. Meanwhile, Hinostroza would provide immediate help on the lower lines for that same organization, providing a win-win approach.
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In such a scenario, I would look for general manager Kevyn Adams to seek either the rights to a couple of unsigned prospects – defensemen perhaps – or even draft picks. We will see how things play out in the near future, but don’t look for Hinostroza to stick around the organization long-term.
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