Wild pick up ex-Predators forward off waivers following Ryan Hartman's 10-game suspension

The Minnesota Wild have made a move to replace the suspended Ryan Hartman. They announced the signing of forward Vinnie Hinostroza off waivers on Wednesday.

“The #mnwild has claimed forward Vinnie Hinostroza off waivers from the Nashville Predators and placed forward Jakub Lauko (lower-body) on Injured Reserve,” the Minnesota Wild’s official PR account, @mnwildPR, posted.

Hinostroza has no goals and two assists in 13 games this season. The Chicago Blackhawks picked Hinostroza in the 2012 draft, and the veteran forward has played for the Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Predators. Hinostroza has 54 goals and 99 assists in 387 games.

Hockey analysts claimed that the Wild are looking to bolster their offense, which is teetering due to the absence of star forward Kirill Kaprizov, who is recovering from surgery following a lower-body injury.

They will also need an immediate replacement for Hartman, who was handed a 10-game suspension for roughing Ottawa Senators' forward Tim Stutzle on Saturday. The Senators blanked the Wild 6-0 on the night.

Ottawa already had a 3-0 lead when the infraction occurred, but they put the game beyond the Wild's reach by scoring three more goals during the power play created by the penalty against Hartman.

Ryan Hartman handed harshest sentence in NHL history due to repeat offenses

On Monday, the NHL Department of Player Safety handed Hartman the longest suspension in franchise history.

This suspension is Hartman's fifth. Analysts and fans labeled him a repeat offender in terms of rough play, which played a major part in the magnitude of his punishment.

Bench brawls and altercations marked Saturday's game, many between Hartman and Stutzle. The Wild forward got a match penalty on the night when, during a faceoff at the end of the second period, he fell on top of Stutzle and drove the other player's head into the ice. Minnesota Wild coach John Hynes spoke about Hartman's suspension.

“I was a little surprised at the length of it,” Hynes said via The Minnesota Star Tribune. “But there’s not really much to say about it. The league makes the decision, and obviously the decision’s been made and we have to live with it. We just gotta move on from it.”

Hartman is expected to appeal his sentence, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported.