NEWSLETTER
Stan is gonna Stan.
On Friday afternoon, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they had acquired forward Vince Hinostroza from the Florida Panthers in exchange for forward Brad Morrison.
Illinois’ own returns home!
Forward Vinnie Hinostroza has been acquired in exchange for forward Brad Morrison. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/uyGSlzKw6r
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 2, 2021
Hinostroza, originally drafted by Bowman and the Blackhawks in the sixth-round of the 2012 NHL Draft, has played in just nine games this season with the Florida Panthers (coached by former Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville), a team he joined this offseason as a free agent. Morrison was acquired in the Olli Maata trade with the Los Angeles Kings last October and had played nine games this season between the Rockford IceHogs and Indy Fuel. Now, he’s back with Chicago.
Hinostroza has skated in 106 NHL games with Chicago and has 39 points in his time with the Blackhawks organization, as well as 82 career points in 109 AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs. He has 100 total points and 255 games played in his NHL career from 2015-2021.
The Bartlett-native is on an expiring contract at the end of this season that carries a $1M AAV, for which the Blackhawks will barely be on the hook (there’s only 18 games left this season, so they’ll have to pay him only the prorated portion of that salary).
At this point in his career, we know what Hinostroza is and brings to the table at the NHL level. He’s undersized, shifty, and can be a decent playmaker in a bottom-six role if given the ice-time. He’ll likely be a part of the taxi squad or could find his way into the regular lineup if the Blackhawks prefer his services over a player like Matthew Highmore or Lucas Wallmark in spot starts.
