The Ottawa Senators finally have their man, as Shane Pinto re-signs with the club. There were a lot of questions ahead of his new contract on term and amount, but now we have our answers. Pinto has missed a couple of key development seasons and it was unknown what that meant for his contract. But now he can focus on simply playing hockey for his club, likely slotting in as their number two centre. The deal is for two years and carries a cap hit of $3.75 million per year according to Elliotte Friedman.
AAV is $3.75 ——> 2.5 and 5 https://t.co/wq9uQiBdFE
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 2, 2024
Shane Pinto Re-Signs with the Ottawa Senators
As we mentioned, Shane Pinto at 23 years old, has already missed some significant time in his development. The 2021-22 season was a wash for him as he ended up having shoulder surgery. Furthermore, to start the 2023-24 season, Pinto missed 41 games due to a sports gambling-related suspension. However, this lack of gametime has done little to impact his performance when he’s on the ice.
Pinto has back-to-back solid offensive seasons. In 2022-23 he was afforded the opportunity to be the team’s number two centre, in what was his NHL rookie season. Centring Alex DeBrincat and Drake Batherson, the line of all righties was great for Pinto’s development. It allowed him to work on his two-way game, both offensively and defensively, but still being insulating. Having responsible NHLers like DeBrincat or Batherson was great for Pinto. He ended up with 20 goals and 15 assists in 82 games played. Also, he showed his all-around game, being strong in the faceoff dot, and winning over 52% of his draws. He grew as an NHL centre and although it was a difficult season for the club, it was an invaluable experience for the future.
The NHL Has Handed Down a 41 Game Suspension to Shane Pinto for Gambling Violations
Unfortunately for Pinto, he ended up missing 41 games to start 2023-24. However, when he did come back, he was already in mid-season form. Pinto ended with 27 points in 41 games and a very impressive over 18 minutes a night. Therefore, he had arrived as a viable, number two-centre option.
What Does this Mean for Pinto and his Sens Teammates
Pinto’s emergence as a number two-centre is huge for the Ottawa Senators. The reason has been another of their centres, Joshua Norris, who has missed significant time with an injury. When people talk about injuries impacting the Senators outcomes, it is not about how many, but how impactful they have been. If we consider just Norris and Pinto going back to the start of the 2021-22 season for a minute. Between them, they should have 492 man games played, if both played all 82 games for those three seasons. They have laced them up for 252-man games, or 51% of the club’s man games for their two slots. Now you are probably thinking, whoop-dee-do, yes, they are injuries, and you have to do deal with them. Conversely, given the club’s season performances, former General Manager Pierre Dorion never did do a good job of replacing their minutes. Especially when you consider that is the club’s number two and three centres. Now is the time for Shane Pinto, a healthy Josh Norris, and GM Steve Staios to lead this club to the promise land (well the playoffs). If the Senators key players can remain healthy in 2024-25, and mix in a big piece or two, depending on salary cap restrictions, the playoffs aren’t entirely out of the question.
Main photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
