The Ottawa Senators re-signed center Shane Pinto to a four-year contract extension.

Pinto's new deal carries a $7.5-million cap hit, which is double his current salary of $3.75 million. It kicks in next season and runs through 2029-30, with a 10-team no-trade list for the final two years.

With Thursday's announcement, Pinto avoids restricted free agency and the first two years of his UFA eligibility in 2028 and 2029.

"Shane is an important part of our core, and we are pleased to have him with us for the foreseeable future," Senators GM Steve Staios told NHL.com.

Pinto, 25, is one of the Senators' most reliable two-way forwards. He's their most-used forward on the penalty kill, averaging 2:15 of shorthanded ice time this season. He's also been on the ice for the most defensive zone faceoffs of any Sens forward at 5-on-5 this season, with 86, according to naturalstattrick.com.

The 6-foot-3, 206-pound pivot from Franklin Square, N.Y., leads the Senators in faceoffs taken, with 119, and faceoffs won, with 119. His 56.9 faceoff win percentage ranks fourth among the team's main faceoff-takers, although the Senators lead the NHL in faceoff success rate at 58.3 percent.

Despite relying on Pinto defensively, the Senators still record more goals, shots, high-danger chances and expected goals in favor of them than against them when he's on the ice at 5-on-5, per naturalstattrick.com. It's no wonder then that coach Travis Green consistently deployed Pinto's line to face the Toronto Maple Leafs' top line of Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner in the first round of last year's playoffs.

Four More Years: Ottawa Senators Sign Shane Pinto To A Four-Year Extension Pinto agrees to a four-year extension on Thursday worth an average annual value (AAV) of $7.5 million.

Defense aside, Pinto's improving on offense.

Last season, Pinto recorded a career-high 21 goals and 37 points in 70 games. He also started this year with seven goals and eight points in his first six games. While he hasn't scored since Oct. 25, he most recently had a four-game assist streak from Oct. 30 to Nov. 8.

He's now up to eight goals and six assists for 14 points in 17 games while averaging a career-high 19:23 of ice time. Pinto's on pace for 38 goals and 67 points, although we're still just over a month into the campaign.

In 227 career games since the Senators drafted him 32nd overall in 2019, Pinto has 59 goals and 62 assists for 121 points. He added a goal and assist in the Senators' six-game, first-round loss to the Maple Leafs in April.

Pinto's missed extended time earlier in his career due to shoulder surgery in 2021-22 and a 41-game suspension for violating the NHL's sports wagering rules in 2023-24. He told the Empty Netters podcast in July 2024 he had his friends place bets for him in the United States, since the American citizen couldn't use a Canadian sportsbook. The league's investigation found no evidence that Pinto made any wagers on NHL games.

Now, Pinto can look forward as the fourth Senator signed through at least 2030. Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens and Jake Sanderson are the others.

"This is a great opportunity for this group to grow together," Staios said.

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