As Nick Cousins would say, "Cha-ching."

When the Ottawa Senators announced that a new episode of the 'Absolute Non-Sens' was about to drop, with a photo of general manager Steve Staios and centre Shane Pinto together, it did not take long for the NHL insiders to read the tea leaves.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed shortly thereafter that the Senators and Pinto had agreed to a new four-year extension worth an average annual value (AAV) of $7.5 million.

Pierre LeBrun added that Pinto's contract will include a 10-team no-trade clause in the third and fourth years of his deal.

With the cap ceiling escalating and natural inflation, there was an anticipation that Pinto's cap hit would exceed $7.0 million. Reports suggested that Pinto's representative, Lewis Gross, was pursuing an AAV that would surpass Dylan Cozen's $7.1 million figure.

Speaking of Cozens, Pinto's new four-year extension means that, like Cozens, he will now reach unrestricted free agency following the conclusion of the 2029-30 season.

The contract is a massive home run for the player.

The Senators avoided a bridge deal and bought up the first two years of Pinto's unrestricted free agent eligibility, but they ultimately paid market value on the AAV without getting the player to ink the customary long-term deal that other members of the Senators' young core have signed.

Instead, Pinto's deal will expire when he is 29 years old - potentially positioning himself for another massive deal down the road when more money should be available to him.

A long-term deal would have been preferable because Pinto has developed into an excellent two-way centre.

Through 17 games this season, the forward has tallied eight goals while adding six assists. He is currently on pace to record 67.5 points, which would double last season's career high of 37.

Pinto has gotten off to an exceptionally productive start to his season, and it would be easy to dismiss it as puck-luck if his shooting percentage were exceptionally out of line with career norms. Although his shooting percentage has never been as high as it is now (17.4 percent), it is less than one percentage point higher than the 16.5 percent he posted in 2024-25.

What has really boosted Pinto's numbers is his efficiency at five-on-five. He is currently averaging 2.95 points per 60 minutes of ice time, while his shot rate (iCF/60), shots on goal rate (SF/60), expected goals (ixG/60) and scoring chance rate (iSCF/60) only trail Brady Tkachuk amongst the regulars. No player on the Senators has generated a higher volume of high-danger scoring chances than Pinto, per Natural Stat Trick.

All the aforementioned rates represent career-bests for Pinto, but what makes it equally impressive is that he is producing at a high level despite often playing against the opposition's most skilled lines. Pinto has held his own, exhibiting positive isolated impacts on offence and defence per HockeyViz.

Part of the reason for his success is the play of his linemates.

Together with Claude Giroux and Michael Amadio, this trio has turned into one of the league's most efficient lines.

According to Evolving-Hockey's data, of all the lines in the NHL that have played more than 100 minutes of five-on-five hockey, only one line has generated a better expected goals for percentage (xGF%) than theirs.

Utah's line of Barrett Hayton, Nick Schmaltz, and Clayton Keller has produced an expected goals percentage of 66.54, while Pinto's line has produced one of 65.83.

Pinto's line is exceptional in several other notable metric rankings:

• 60.72 percent of total shots on goal (SF%) - 4th best
• 60.12 percent of total shots (CF%) - 4th best
• 5.07 goals for per 60 (GF/60) - 4th best
• 3.07 expected goals per 60 (xGF/60) - 12th best
• 1.59 expected goals allowed per 60 (xGA/60) - 1st

Offensively and defensively, this trio has been one of the league's best, and it's a significant reason why Pinto has gotten off to his strong start. And should they continue to play together, their two-way aptitude and play are reasons to believe that not only are Pinto's production levels true, but also sustainable. 

Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News/Ottawa

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