Chicago Blackhawks News: Vinnie Hinostroza is back via tradeon April 2, 2021 at 9:33 pm

He is considered to be an offensive player so they are going to need him to score a little bit. He has shown that he can at the NHL level as there have been some productive years in his career. His best season came in 2018-19 playing for Arizona when he scored 16 goals and added in 23 assists for 39 points.

That is not bad production at all for a former 6th round pick that the Hawks (and Coyotes) did a great job developing. In his career as a whole, he has 34 goals and 66 assists for 100 points in 255 career games. That level of production could really help Chicago’s middle-six pick it back up.

It is fair to wonder where he will fit into this group. With Kirby Dach coming back, it would make sense to try him on his wing. Hinostroza is a natural centerman but they might get more out of him playing on the wing. If a big statured centerman like Dach had a skill-player like Vinnie on his wing, that might really help him get going.

Getting him time on either power-play unit might be a smart idea as well. He has the ability to make good passes and score goals in tight which has the makings of a good power play forward. He might be able to help the second unit by adding some extra skills to the mix.

As the trade deadline approaches, the team’s main goal should be to get younger. That might mean trading some of their expiring contracts (Mattias Janmark, Carl Soderberg) to Stanley Cup contenders to make room for guys like Hinostroza. This is a very exciting move because a local kid gets to come back and start over with the team that brought him up. Hopefully, this is one that works out for both sides.