The Ottawa Senators signed prospect Shane Pinto to a three-year entry-level deal on Thursday afternoon. This deal carries him through the 2022-23 season. The deal was confirmed by the Senators in a tweet on Thursday afternoon.
News Release: The #Sens have signed forward Shane Pinto to a three-year entry-level contract: https://t.co/xjQMCFdSnE pic.twitter.com/QjaSDYAZ5f
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) April 1, 2021
Prospect Shane Pinto signs with the Senators
Over his two-year career for the University of North Dakota, Pinto amassed 31 goals and 29 assists for 60 career points in 61 career NCAA games. He was drafted in the second round, 32nd overall of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Senators.
This season for the Fighting Hawks, Pinto scored 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points. Earlier Thursday, Pinto was named to the Hobey Hat Trick as one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award annually given to college hockey’s best player.
Pinto will immediately report to Ottawa to begin his seven-day quarantine period. Once finished he will join the NHL squad.
What this means for the future
After Jacob Bernard-Docker and Pinto both signed with the team today, the rest of the Senators’s season will mostly serve the purpose of giving the rookies experience and locking up a high draft selection in this year’s NHL draft.
LWOS Prospect Expert Ben Kerr says the following on Shane Pinto: “Pinto is a shooter. He has a very good release on his wrist shot and he is effective at one-timing a cross-ice pass into the back of the net. He finds open spaces and gets himself in a good position to take that pass from a linemate. Pinto’s shot has good but not great power though. He is at his best getting his shot off from inside the faceoff dots. From further out, he can have issues beating goaltenders. However, Pinto does a good job of creating a shot in high danger areas. His speed on the rush can also create offensive chances. If defenders back off to protect against that speed, Pinto can use the defender as a screen and fire the puck on the net.”
Main Photo:
OTTAWA, ON – JUNE 29: Ottawa Senators Prospect Center Shane Pinto (57) during the Ottawa Senators Development Camp on June 29, 2019, at Bell Sensplex in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
