Pierre Dorion Holds All the Cards in Shane Pinto Standoff

Josh Bailey's signing on Thursday looks like an insurance policy in case the Pinto stalemate drags on.

When summer began for Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion, he had at least five major tasks to complete before opening night and, ideally, before training camp.

Four of them are now off the board:

1) Decide on Alex DeBrincat’s future with the club

2) Provide clarity around the number one goalie position

3) Extend or trade Erik Brannstrom

4) Extend Jake Sanderson a year early

5) Extend Shane Pinto and buy-up years of UFA

Even before Sanderson’s eight-year extension was signed, theories had been bandied about as to how Dorion was going to free up the necessary cash to extend Pinto and for what term.

On Thursday, Dorion signed 33-year-old UFA centre, Josh Bailey, to a Professional Try Out (PTO) agreement.

To some, this might look like a game plan to establish some camp depth to create healthy competition. PTOs, more often than not, don’t lead to a contract being awarded. However, last year, the Senators gave Derick Brassard a PTO and the wily veteran stuck with the club for the league minimum. Given the injury sustained by Josh Norris, this proved to be very helpful.

To others, this might signify the serious possibility that Shane Pinto won’t be at training camp when it opens on September 21st.

Pinto is owed, at minimum, a 5% increase on the $925,000.00 he made last year. The Senators don’t have that much left in the kitty, and, even if they did, Pinto would be foolish to take it.

Bailey, who has played his entire 1057 regular season and 71 playoff games with the New York Islanders, is coming off what would seem an off year where he recorded 25 pts in 64 games. However, when you consider what the three-hole generated offensively for the Senators last season, this would be an upgrade.

Pinto played in the number two slot for most of the season and recorded 35 points in 82 games. Their PPG stats (Pinto .43 and Bailey .39) are eerily similar, and Bailey has experience that Pinto doesn’t.

As a 10.2(c) RFA, Pinto is not eligible for offer sheets and arbitration. Jake Sanderson would have been in a similar situation.

Pinto's only real leverage is to hold out and hope that his absence is felt to the point that the team has to create the cap space necessary to get a deal done.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of questions:

1) Why was $5 million dollars spent on Tarasenko before taking care of Pinto, given that Tarasenko is likely one and done?

2) Does Pierre Dorion not view Shane Pinto as a key piece of the puzzle for a Stanley Cup run?

3) Is Ridly Greig viewed as a similar or better prospect at centre ice than Pinto?

4) What should Shane Pinto and his camp infer from this?

5) Is a trade in works in the event that Pinto can’t be signed?

These are all questions that need to be asked if Pinto isn’t getting his physical next week.

Things to consider:

1) Pinto turns 23 in November and will be a UFA in 2026.

2) He is American born and ADB showed that Americans sometimes like to go home at free agency.

3) Pinto will never be more affordable than he is today.

4) The Senators have the cap space to sign Bailey or to have Greig make the team.

Pierre Dorion can remain non-committal about playoff hockey for the coming season, but not about this.