Wild’s Vinnie Hinostroza goes from waiver wire to game-winner in a hurry

Vinnie Hinostroza had already aced his first impression with the Wild by scoring a goal — the game-winner, no less.

Then he picked up some extra credit.

Hinostroza was first to a blocked shot that caromed into the corner after Carolina’s last-ditch attempt to catch up to the Wild on Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center, and the right winger flipped the puck as time expired to put an exclamation point on his first game by helping the Wild outlast the Hurricanes.

“That felt really good,” Hinostroza said. “I think any time the coach looks at you and tells you to go out there, especially when you’re up 2-1 against the Carolina Hurricanes, that says a lot. So, I’m happy to get those opportunities and try to take advantage of them.”

Missing three forwards in Kirill Kaprizov (surgery), Ryan Hartman (suspension) and Jakub Lauko (injury), the Wild shored up their offense Wednesday by scooping Hinostroza off waivers from Nashville.

But as his debut attested, Hinostroza’s pickup could be more than a short-term fix until the Wild are at full strength: His experience aligns with the depth additions the Wild prioritized last offseason.

“Any time you get picked up by a team, it feels good,” Hinostroza said. “Obviously, they saw something in me that thinks I can help here.”

Before his final shift, Hinostroza also had an impactful start to the third period but at the other end of the rink.

He got a piece of a shot by captain Jared Spurgeon and after the puck hit the post and was covered by Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen, it trickled over the goal line to give the Wild a 2-0 lead only 49 seconds into the period. Hinostroza is the 31st player to score in his Wild debut and the eighth to pocket the game-winner, his deflection getting upgraded after Carolina’s Sebastian Aho capitalized with Andersen pulled for an extra attacker.

“Felt really good,” Hinostroza said. “Obviously, lot of emotions. Entering a new locker room sometimes can be hard to do, but this group couldn’t have made it easier for me today. So, I’m just happy to be a part of this.”

After Hinostroza started the season in the minors, the Predators called him up to the NHL in late December when he was leading the American Hockey League in scoring.

In 13 games with Nashville, he tallied only two assists, but he has produced at this level in the past: He netted a career-high 16 goals with Arizona in 2018-19 after breaking into the league with Chicago and had 13 for Buffalo during 2021-22. The 30-year-old also played for Pittsburgh and Florida but has split action between the NHL and AHL for three seasons now.

“As I’m getting older, I’ve seen players go through it, and sometimes once they go through it a few times it kind of trickles down their career,” Hinostroza said. “But I just try to keep a positive mindset through the last few years.

“I know how I can play, and I think my best hockey is still ahead of me, so that’s always been my mindset.”

Last summer, the Wild made it an objective to bolster their organization depth.

Why? Because that’s what the NHL roster would need to be successful.

“We know we’re going to get injuries throughout the year,” coach John Hynes said. “But it also breeds a little bit of internal competition.”

They also focused on the style of player who could fulfill this role, and that was veterans who were “willing to do what’s best for the team, whether that’s play eight minutes, nine minutes, 12 minutes, six minutes, kill penalties, be defensively responsible, whatever it may be,” Hynes said.

Cue Devin Shore, who has appeared in all but four games since the winger debuted in November after getting promoted from Iowa.

“I know what works in this league, what my capabilities are and what to steer clear from,” said Shore, whose resume included 443 NHL games before he signed with the Wild last July. “So, you just bring that work ethic and that consistent brand of hockey as best you can, and it’s been a lot of fun.”

Now it’s Hinostroza’s turn to find a niche with the Wild, a chance at stability after the uncertainty of shuffling between leagues.

“It’s not an easy lifestyle. I give those guys a lot of credit,” said winger Marcus Foligno, who was on Hinostroza’s line along with center Frederick Gaudreau.

“Mentally, that’s the biggest thing, right? You don’t know what tomorrow is gonna bring, and it’s a tough, tough place to be in. But a lot of these guys that we have that are in those roles are unbelievable people, good character people that seem just to deal with it really well.

“I’ve played against Vinnie for a bit now and you’ve always felt like he should be a regular, whether it was his days in Arizona. He always bought that skill and speed.”

When he arrived in Minnesota, Hinostroza saw some familiar faces.

He was in Hartman’s wedding party and met Wild players, but the turnaround has been quick. He’ll catch up with his wife and three kids, who are in Chicago, during the 4 Nations Face-Off break that begins after the Wild host the New York Islanders on Saturday.

“One more big game here,” he said, “and then get to enjoy that.”

If the season thus far is any indication, the Wild will continue to rely on players like Hinostroza and Shore the rest of the way as they vie to lock up a playoff spot.

“They’re ultimate team guys,” Hynes said, “and the players that we have in the organization are willing to do that, and they’ve helped us.”

7 p.m. Saturday, Xcel Energy Center

TV; radio: FanDuel Sports Network North Extra; 100.3 FM

Game preview: The Islanders kicked off their road trip Friday at Winnipeg. Before that, they defeated Vegas 2-1 at home on Tuesday for their eighth win in nine games. Edina LW Anders Lee has 12 points in 18 career games vs. the Wild. Warroad C Brock Nelson will represent the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off. New York dropped both games to the Wild last season, losing 4-2 and 5-0.

Injuries: Wild LW Kirill Kaprizov (lower body) and LW Jakub Lauko (lower body) are out. Islanders C Mathew Barzal (lower body), D Noah Dobson (lower body), G Marcus Hogberg (upper body), D Scott Mayfield (lower body), D Ryan Pulock (upper body), D Mike Reilly (upper body) and G Semyon Varlamov (lower body) are out.