The Ottawa Senators have signed center Shane Pinto to a two-year, $7.5MM contract. The deal will carry an annual average value of $3.75MM. Pinto went through a tumultuous season last year, missing the first 41 games of the regular season for violating the league’s gambling policy. He eventually signed a contract for the league minimum of $775K on January 19th.
Once he was back in the lineup, the 23-year-old had a strong season, dressing in 41 games and posting nine goals and 18 assists while registering a +9. His underlying numbers were excellent, particularly his possession numbers as he posted a CF% of 53.8% at even-strength.
The Franklin Square, New York native was probably hoping for more stability this offseason but settled on a two-year term which could effectively come with a third year at $5MM as the second year of his deal is reportedly for $5MM (as per CapFriendly).
A former second-round pick (32nd overall) in the 2019 NHL entry draft, Pinto went through a tough contract negotiation with Ottawa last summer before his suspension and is sure to be happy to have a deal done early in July. Ottawa was able to facilitate the deal with Pinto after they sent Mathieu Joseph to the St. Louis Blues (along with a third-round pick), effectively clearing out his $2.95MM cap hit for the next two years.
Pinto has been mainly a third-line center in Ottawa, however, with Joshua Norris injured last season Pinto was elevated in the lineup and played solid minutes as the Senators’ second-line center. Pinto averaged over 18 minutes of ice time per game which was an increase of more than two minutes a night. With the uncertainty of Norris going forward, the Senators have a terrific backup option with Pinto as he has already demonstrated he can be a second-line center in the NHL.
Thank you for your sanity. Hope you get your 5 million plus after a couple of strong years.
“Joshua” Norris, as he is called by his Mom & Dad, after he leaves his man wide open at the ladies’ tees in the low slot.
And, as for you, Pinto, you’re a traitor. You wanted to leave. Then no, then yes, then maybe. Did you wise up after going around the block and realize, “those bozos are going to eat my share of the cap!” Yep, that’s what cap cannibals do.
Shane Pinto isn’t from Ottawa. He’s not even Canadian. Like most people who work for a living, he wants the best deal he can get. He has no particular reason for eternal loyalty to the Senators. Now Ottawa does have an unusually high number of their top players who’ve played for the Sens all their careers, but I’m sure no one in Ottawa is calling Claude Giroux a traitor, or David Perron a traitor, or Michael Amadio a traitor, just because they jumped from another team to the Sens.
(Come to that, how many people on this board have worked for only one company in their entire lives?)