Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto is heading into a pivotal season. 2025-26 will be the final year of his two-year contract, which pays him $3.75 million a season, and what his next deal looks like will obviously depend heavily on how this season unfolds. There are plenty of questions surrounding the affable 24-year-old. Will he see more power-play time and get more points in Ottawa? Can he outpace newcomer Dylan Cozens for top-six minutes? Will he crack Team USA’s Olympic roster? Pinto has been invited to the orientation camp, and making the American team would certainly boost his value with the Senators. Shane Pinto was asked at season's end about getting more power play time next season. But if none of those things materialize, he may not be in line for much of a raise when contract negotiations begin in earnest. Last season, Pinto set career highs with 21 goals and 37 points, but didn't get a lot of power-play time and saw limited top-six minutes. Still, he’s the type of player who can be trusted in all situations and is likely to thrive with added responsibility. Senators GM Steve Staios confirmed there have already been preliminary talks about Pinto’s future, and they've been positive. However, as he told the Coming in Hot podcast [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LevxlfjM91Y]this week, a deal won’t be done before the season starts. "I think what we've decided on is we're gonna let the season start and not have Shane distracted with (contract talks)," Staios said. "But I guess the best way to put it is (we've had) preliminary conversations – positive ones – that lead me to believe that there will be a deal done at the right time. And that's really all I can report on that." Staios stressed that the club really wants the Franklin Square, New York native to be part of the Sens' core group moving forward. The GM was also pleased to see Pinto get an invitation to USA Hockey’s Olympic orientation camp. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/three-ottawa-senators-named-to-u-s-olympic-orientation-camp] Three Ottawa Senators Named To U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/eaecc7f2-90a6-4b44-94ee-7c6bda13048e.webp] Three Ottawa Senators Named To U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp The road to the Winter Games of Milan and Cortina is beginning to take shape, and three key members of the Ottawa Senators are firmly in the mix for Team USA’s 2026 Olympic roster. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/three-ottawa-senators-named-to-u-s-olympic-orientation-camp] "Oh, it was a huge confidence boost for him. I think the conversation that I had with him prior to (this year's) men's world championship, which... You're at the end of the season, there's playoffs, you're a little bit banged up, I had open dialogue with all of our players that were potentially going or ended up going. "And my conversation with Shane was a longer one. And part of it, I think, in his mind, and in my mind, was if he does go, is this a bit of a showcase for an opportunity to play in the Olympics? And certainly he had a terrific tournament, and it proved to be the right decision for him to go." Later in the podcast, host Brent Wallace asked Staios if Pinto is one of the smartest players on the team. "I think we have a lot of smart players on our roster, but I think there's maturity in his game, if I could put it that way. You talk about sense and spatial awareness and being in the right areas. For a young player, I think that he's grasped that a little bit sooner than some. That's probably the best way to describe it. But he always seems to be in the right position. He's a responsible center ice man. So yeah, I do think he's an intelligent player." If the Sens are projecting a breakout season for Pinto, both in the NHL and maybe at the Olympics, they would probably like to get something done as soon as possible. But, as they say, it takes two to tango. And Pinto, who's quite clearly a betting man, might just be betting on himself this season. By Steve Warne The Hockey News Ottawa [http://thn.com/ottawa] Read more Sens articles from The Hockey News: Staios: 'We’re Not Dismissing That Carter Yakemchuk Makes Our Team Out of Camp' [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/steve-staios-we-re-not-dismissing-that-carter-yakemchuk-makes-our-team-out-of-camp] Senators' NHL Dream Began Over Pints in the Dressing Room [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/sens-rewind-ottawa-s-nhl-dream-began-over-dressing-room-pints-after-pickup-hockey] Former Ottawa Senator Travis Hamonic Signs With Atlantic Division Rival [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/former-ottawa-senator-travis-hamonic-signs-with-atlantic-division-rival]
