Shortly after trading Mathieu Joseph to clear cap space, the Senators re-signed RFA Shane Pinto to a two-year deal.
After rumours of trade requests and contentious negotiations between the Ottawa Senators and RFA centre Shane Pinto, both sides found some common ground this week.
The Senators signed Pinto to a two-year deal with a cap hit of $3.75 million on Tuesday.
When asked about the negotiations heading into last week's NHL draft, GM Steve Staios had repeatedly expressed that Pinto “knows what we think of him.”
Meanwhile, at the end of the season, Pinto reiterated how much he wanted to stay in Ottawa. Still, he wanted to get the best deal possible after frittering half a season away due to a gambling suspension and settling for a deal below market value last season.
“You just got to find the middle ground, and hopefully, in the near future, we will figure something out,” said Pinto.
Pinto made those remarks on April 18th, and it took over two and a half months for him and the Senators to agree to a contract.
Pinto's contract is a bridge deal, so he will remain a restricted free agent when it expires in 2026.
It will be fascinating to see if the contentious negotiations affect Pinto’s long-term future with the Senators. Throughout the season, Pinto said his desire was to remain in Ottawa.
Pinto is currently the Senators' third-line centre, but with Josh Norris’s long-term shoulder injuries, he has played primarily as a second-line centre. Last season, he scored 20 goals, and this season, through 41 games, he scored at an 18-goal, 54-point pace.
The Senators, in essence, gave Pinto a wait-and-see contract at 3.75 million AAV. That's more than most third-line centres but less than most second-line centres. The hope is that by the end of 2026, the Senators will know what Pinto is and what they need him to be and pay him accordingly.