Shane Pinto is projected to slide back to the third-line centre role next season. As the Senators prepare to re-sign him, will they try and go short-term or long-term?
Alex DeBrincat's RFA status and future is soaking up most of the spotlight in Ottawa right now. But before long, the Sens will need to address the status of Shane Pinto, another important contract lingering on Pierre Dorion's to-do list this summer.
After a bad shoulder injury that delayed his rookie season by a year, Pinto was probably happy to just get through this season in one piece.
But he did a lot more than that.
Pinto did something only Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat did in Ottawa this year. They were the only five Senators to play in all 82 games this season. Naturally, Pinto would like to continue to be mentioned with forwards of that calibre – beyond the ability to stay healthy.
Watching Pinto play every game was probably encouraging for teammate Josh Norris, who's famously been dealing with own shoulder problems. With Norris missing almost the entire season this year, Pinto moved into Ottawa's second-line centre role and tried to do the best Norris impression he could.
"I learned a lot from it," Pinto told the media last month. "I think it's only going to make me better for next year. I'm pretty happy with how I dealt with it.
Pinto scored 20 goals and put up 35 points – a hell of a season for an NHL freshman, but still well off the pace that Norris set the year before, scoring 35 goals and 52 points in 66 games.
Now with Norris expected to be healthy for training camp, Pinto heads back to third line duty (for now), and there's no shortage of questions as Pinto becomes a restricted free agent on July 1st.
What do you pay a guy like Pinto, especially when he's completely blocked by Norris and Tim Stutzle? What kind of term do you look at for Pinto? Is he a classic third-line centre or will he be so skilled that he'll eventually kick down the door to power play time or top-six minutes?
Here's why Pinto may push for a short term deal:
Pinto is a perfect third-line centre option, but his agent, Lewis Gross, isn't blind. He sees that Norris keeps breaking down. He knows Alex DeBrincat is a question mark to remain in Ottawa. And he realizes Giroux will be 37 when his contract expires in two years. That's half of Ottawa's top six right there, so there may be some serious opportunities here.
Meanwhile, Gross knows his client will likely be a better, more mature player in two years, one that's probably more than capable of making a shift to the wing if necessary. When his short-term deal expires, Pinto could be in line for an even bigger pay day.
Here's why Pinto may push for a longer term deal:
Security is always welcome, especially for a player only one year removed from missing an entire season with an injury. And Pinto may soon get some steep competition from the ultra competitive Ridly Greig, who's hoping to become a full-time NHL player as soon as possible (and keep his own shoulder injuries at bay).
As for the Senators, it's hard to imagine they're even remotely thinking about something long term. They have a lot of key players on long term deals as it is, and while it's not looking good right now, it's still possible DeBrincat may add to the total. Next year, Sanderson's contract will be kind of a big deal, as will Chychrun's the year after that. And don't forget, they may need to go out and get another goalie.
Above all, they definitely don't want a sequel to the Colin White story. That ended badly. The Sens paid White for what they hoped he'd become... and then he didn't. And now they're paying him to play for the Florida Panthers – a cautionary tale as they consider another young centre's future.
NHL teams have to be economical with 8 year deals, so expect something shorter term while Pinto develops and finds his way. Both sides would be well-served to kick things down the road a couple of years then re-evaluate how Pinto fits in.
It's quite possible Shane Pinto can be a top two NHL centre someday. It just may not be in Ottawa.