Two days ago, Shane Pinto turned 25. Yesterday, he signed a four year, $30 million contract extension. Talk about a nice birthday present. The contract will start next season and run until the end of the 2029-30 season. So, what should Senators fans think of the extension? Let’s dive into the details.
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Shane Pinto By the Numbers
From a shoulder injury that cost Pinto almost an entire season, to a gambling suspension that cost him half a season, he’s certainly faced his share of adversity. In between, though, he’s shown himself to be a quality two way centre. Here are his career numbers:
- 228 games, 60 goals, 122 points
That translates to 22 goals and 44 points per 82 games. Going into last season, Pinto was the clear third line centre for the Senators. Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris were both making more than double Pinto’s salary. They were given the better wingers to play with, and were playing more minutes. Partway through last season, though, Pinto’s role increased. Here are Pinto’s numbers from last season, starting on December 13th:
- 50 games, 20 goals, 34 points, 17:47 time on ice/ game
That put Pinto first among Senators in goals, fourth in points, and among forwards, fifth in ice-time. In the playoffs he then averaged nearly 20 minutes per game, going up against the Auston Matthews line regularly. This season, his play has grown even further. Here are the numbers:
- 18 games, 9 goals, 15 points, 19:21 time on ice/ game
Make no mistake about it, Shane Pinto is now the Senators number two centre. Dylan Cozens is an important player, but he plays over two minutes less per game. Pinto only plays less than Stutzle among Sens forwards, and even that gap is just over 20 seconds per game. He leads all Sens forwards with 2:18 per game on the penalty kill.
Breaking Down the Contract
I did my best to predict a Shane Pinto contract in the offseason. I ended up thinking that a six year deal worth $6.5 million per season would make sense. Inevitably, Pinto ended up with this contract:
- 4 years, $30 million, $7.5 million per season
That works out to 7.21% of the cap. Pinto solidifying himself as the team’s number two centre this season earned him that cap hit. It makes sense, considering that Dylan Cozens makes $7.1 million per season. It would’ve been hard to convince Pinto to come in lower than that. This puts Pinto into the core group of Senators making between $7 and $8.5 million per season. That group consists of Pinto, Stutzle, Tkachuk, Cozens, Sanderson, Chabot, and Ullmark.
Final Thoughts
All in all, this is a solid contract for the Senators. Would I have preferred this contract to be a little longer? Of course. That’s because I’m a Pinto believer, through and through. He’s likely capable of scoring 30 goals, all the while being the Senators most important defensive forward. The four year term is smart for Pinto’s side. That will take him to free agency when he’s 29.
As for the here and now, the Senators are in a great position, with so many core pieces signed for at least the next few seasons. For the rest of this year, Pinto can now focus solely on the ice. He has a great chance to set a career high in goals (21), points (37), and should also be in the conversation for making Team USA for the upcoming Olympics.
