Shane Pinto Wants to Discuss His Market Value, Not Ottawa's Cap Issues or Centre Ice Depth

Despite the Ottawa Senators' cap challenges (and depth at centre), the 22-year-old still deserves a contract that reflects his NHL worth.

As the Ottawa Senators begin rookie camp today, one of their top rookies from last year remains without a contract. Centre Shane Pinto scored 20 goals for Ottawa last season and has been sitting in limbo as a restricted free agent since July 1st.

The Senators are up against the cap, yes. That's been well documented. They have less than a million dollars to spend on Pinto's new deal and he's going to want more than that. But there are other circumstances at play. 

For one, Pinto is parked behind two race cars.

The Senators have Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris as their one-two punch up the middle, each making around $8 million, give or take. They're locked up long-term and so management probably sees Pinto as their third line guy for the foreseeable future. So his value to the team and what they're offering to pay him right now would probably be reflected in that.

Pinto's mindset would be very different. Why wouldn't it be? Again, he just had a 20-goal rookie season. That's in the ballpark of what Stutzle (12 goals in 53 games) and Norris (17 goals in 56 games) had in their rookie seasons.

Over the past couple of years, Pinto has watched young teammates all around him get paid handsomely, with long-term security to boot. Most of them also got paid on their potential, which Pinto has in spades. Pinto isn't looking for eight years or $8 million. But it's also not his job to take less than market value, just to help his team out.

Why should Pinto accept less than his NHL worth as a player right now, which is at least Mathieu Joseph's money ($2.95 million), just because the Sens are loaded at centre and up against the cap? 

It's easy to see both sides of the argument, which is probably why it's taking so long to get something done. But GM Pierre Dorion remains optimistic.

Meanwhile, the NHL vultures have begun to circle. Whether it's Pinto or someone else (so they can afford to pay Pinto), a pretty decent asset is probably about to shake loose in Ottawa.