When a knee injury felled Aleksander Barkov in late September during training camp, it not only created a massive void atop the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers' lineup, but it also created an opening for a new prospective Selke Trophy winner. Awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward "who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game." Since 2021, the Selke Trophy has only been awarded to two players: the now-retired Patrice Bergeron (2022, 2023) and Barkov (2021, 2024, 2025). Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss what may be the Senators' goal of the year canadidate. With Barkov failing to appear in a single game for the Panthers this season, the field for the Selke is wide open. Following the Senators' morning skate on Thursday, I had a chance to sit down with Tim Stützle briefly and ask him which players merited consideration. Sitting in his stall wearing his hat backwards, he paused for a second, flashed a giant grin while turning his head to the left to face me, before saying one name, "Pints." It is not a new phenomenon for players within a dressing room to go to bat for their teammates and lobby for the candidacy of one of their own. There obviously will be some inherent level of bias at play, but as one of the premier offensive talents in the league, who routinely matches up against the opposition's best defensive tandems and shutdown lines, Stützle's opinion carries weight. The Ottawa Senators have been one of the league's best defensive teams this season. According to Natural Stat Trick's five-on-five data, the Senators have generated 52.96 percent of the shots (CF%, 5th), 54.13 percent of the shots on goal (SF%, 4th), 52.37 percent of the total goals (GF%, 11th), and 54.71 percent of the expected goals (xGF%, 3rd). It is not simply a matter of outshooting and outchancing the opposition; in terms of pure suppression, the Senators have excelled at stifling chances and not affording their opponents much. They have allowed 51.92 shots per 60 (CA/60, 3rd), 23.43 shots on goal allowed per 60 (SA/60, 3rd), and 2.31 expected goals per 60 (xGA/60, 2nd). As the checking line centre for one of the best defensive teams in hockey, it makes sense for Shane Pinto to get credit for the work that he has put in this season. When Pinto has been on the ice this season, the Senators have generated 50.21 percent of the shots (CF%), 53.72 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 50.59 percent of the total goals (GF%), and 55.04 percent of the expected goals (xGF%). In other words, when he has been on the ice, the Senators have tilted the ice in their favour - generating a higher percentage of shot and goal metrics than the opposition. What is especially impressive about this development is that Shane Pinto's offensive zone start percentage is 30.87. Of the 250 forwards who have logged more than 800 minutes of five-on-five ice time, only five players have a lower offensive zone start percentage than Pinto: Connor Dewar (PIT, 18.71%); Frederic Gaudreau (SEA, 24.91%); Nic Dowd (WSH/VEG, 26.97%); Michael McCarron (NSH/MIN 27.92%); and Jason Dickinson (CHI/EDM, 27.97%). Connor Dewar: 50.88 CF%, 49.93 SF%, 57.53 GF%, 51.25 xGF% Frederic Gaudreau: 40.78 CF%, 41.76 SF%, 47.46 GF%, 37.85 xGF% Nic Dowd: 48.60 CF%, 48.05 SF%, 42.55 GF%, 46.02 xGF% Michael McCarron: 47.91 CF%, 48.48 SF%, 31.58 GF%, 51.10 xGF% Jason Dickinson: 48.05 CF%, 49.46 SF%, 42.03 GF%, 46.80 xGF% When players have a high volume of defensive zone starts, they typically spend more time in their own end defending, as reflected in the numbers above. Despite playing against the opposition's best players and facing a high volume of defensive zone draws, Pinto's metrics are incredibly strong. Using HockeyStats.com's graph tool, it is easy to visually see how players fare across metrics like quality of competition and the rate of expected goals allowed at five-on-five. HOCKEYSTATS.com [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/3d85a036-6cd6-45e1-8492-f6bdc9c7c212.png] HOCKEYSTATS.com In the top-right quadrant of the graph, it is clear that Pinto has some separation from the pack. He is having a unique season in that few players can match his workload, the quality of competition he faces, and how he has helped limit the opposition's chances when he's been on the ice. To put that into perspective, Nick Suzuki is represented by the Montreal Canadiens logo at the top of the graph on the Y-axis. The centre is regarded as a strong two-way player who has enjoyed an excellent season, recording 20 goals and 98 points in 78 games. Last season, Suzuki earned some Selke consideration, finishing 13th in the balloting. Without Barkov, the campaigning for him as a prospective favourite for the Selke this year is underway. Suzuki is a great player. He plays in all situations and against tough competition, but he has not been able to limit the volume of chances as Pinto has. Another major difference between the two is how Suzuki has an offensive zone start percentage of 51.40. Unlike Suzuki, Pinto does not benefit from getting the lion's share of offensive draws. Those responsibilities fall to Tim Stützle and Dylan Cozens's lines, and without them, it is more challenging for Pinto's line to win draws, break the puck out efficiently, and sustain pressure in the offensive zone. To Pinto's credit, however, his lines have been doing just that. He has won 51.6 percent of his total faceoffs this season, but that number climbs to 55.9 percent for just his defensive zone draws. According to Evolving-Hockey's line combinations tool, Pinto's two most common lines this season have been the Michael Amadio-Pinto-Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins-Pinto-Amadio combinations. Both checking lines have been dominant. Amadio/Pinto/Giroux: 54.67 CF%, 58.27 SF%, 65.54 GF%, and 58.21 xGF% Cousins/Pinto/Amadio: 52.90 CF%, 57.94 SF%, 47.86 GF%, and 62.20 xGF% Unfortunately, for the Cousins-Pinto-Amadio line, their percentage of total goals (GF%) has suffered from bad luck. Despite their strong underlying metrics, the Senators' goaltenders have stopped 88.94 percent of the shots when this trio have been on the ice. Goaltending in Ottawa has been problematic for the lion's share of the season, with the Sens having the fourth-lowest five-on-five save percentage in the league (89.11) Pinto is a unique player. He has not been sheltered at all with his usage and deployment. Despite facing difficult circumstances, Pinto's metrics at five-on-five and on the penalty kill have thrived. HockeyViz's data visuals corroborate that point. Pinto's presence has a profound effect on the Senators' defensive play, irrespective of the situation. (INSERT HOCKEYVIZ GFX) Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/d1d52a12-bafb-4480-bfa9-ce842cc786a9.png] Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/32bf7a67-de0f-4241-a43e-4d19b494cb3d.png] And, that is before mentioning that Pinto had his best offensive season, setting new regular season highs in goals (22) and points (43). Everything about Shane Pinto's 2025-26 campaign points towards a player who absolutely should merit serious consideration for the Selke. Hell, he should be one of the favourites. Graeme Nichols The Hockey News This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News [http://thn.com/ottawa] at the links below: Senators’ Rock Star Homestand Sets Up Chance To Clinch Playoff Spot Saturday [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/senators-4-1-homestand-sets-up-chance-to-clinch-playoff-spot-saturday] Chabot Cleared To Play... 17 Days After Breaking His Arm [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/that-was-fast-senators-defenseman-thomas-chabot-returns-17-days-after-breaking-his-arm] Ullmark Describes Masterton Trophy Nomination As Bittersweet [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/senators-goalie-linus-ullmark-describes-his-masterton-trophy-nomination-as-bittersweet] 'A Superstar Moment:' The Senators Goal Everyone Is Talking About [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/a-superstar-moment-the-senators-goal-everyone-is-talking-about] Sens Sign Two Of Their Drafted NCAA Prospects [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/senators-sign-two-of-their-drafted-ncaa-prospects-on-monday] 20 Goals: Former Senator Now Exceeding All Expectations [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/20-goals-former-senator-parker-kelly-now-exceeding-all-expectations]
