Pinto is a restricted free agent this summer but his case is loaded with variables on both sides of the negotiations.
Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto has one of the more fascinating free-agent cases in the NHL, loaded with variables, unknowns, and "what ifs."
For one, the Senators probably would have liked to take Pinto for a longer test drive to be more confident about exactly what they're paying for. In Pinto's three years as a full-timer, he's missed almost as many games as he's played. So far, he has 70 points in 140 career NHL games.
Short as it was, this was a breakout offensive season for Pinto, who posted 27 points. That's a 54-point pace over 82 games.
Is 54 points his ceiling? Is there more? Or was 54 an outlier? The sample size is awfully small to say for certain, one way or the other.
Meanwhile, thanks to the perennially uncertain health of Josh Norris, the Senators still aren't even sure what they need Pinto to be. If the Sens knew Norris would definitely return, stay healthy, and be awesome for the next six years, they could play hardball in contract talks with their probable third-line centre.
If Norris gets hurt or plays like he did last season, Pinto has to move up in the batting order, and taking care of him this summer becomes all the more important.
From Pinto's side of things, he says he loves it here.
"I want to be here," Pinto said at the end of the season. "I love the boys, I love the community, I love the organization. So (a new contract) is between my agent and the organization, and we'll see what happens."
After the nuisance of a 41-game NHL suspension for violating the league's gambling rules, Pinto was super agreeable in re-signing with the Sens, agreeing to a prorated one-year deal for less than a million dollars, way below his market value.
Does Pinto now want long-term security? Or does he want a bridge deal to pad his resume before going long? Is he going for full market value, or is he still feeling like he owes the team a little something after his fantasy football faux pas last season?
Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch says "both sides would like to get a long-term deal in the five-to-six-year range in place" and that he's been told, "Pinto's camp is seeking a deal in the range of $5 million per season, and the Senators aren't in the same ballpark."
If the Sens aren't in the same ballpark on that, it's because of all the variables we just mentioned.
But here's our view from the cheap seats. Pinto has passed Norris on the depth chart, and we have yet to see his best. He's a popular teammate who's impossible to faze, can play in all situations, is defensively responsible, and is capable of flirting with 70 points next season. He's everything you want in a second-line centre with nothing but room for growth.
If Pinto is truly willing to sign a six-year extension worth $5 million AAV, the Senators should sign it ASAP and then run to the parking lot yelling, "Start the Car!"
That deal would be a steal, not in three years, but right now.