SDPN Sports: Chris Johnston on what’s going with the Ottawa Senators and RFA center Shane Pinto.
Julian McKenzie: “Let’s talk about the Ottawa Senators. They announce their training camp roster on Wednesday. Shane Pinto, who’s a restricted free agent, not on the roster. He remains unsigned.
What’s next with him? Is he staying? Is he trade bait? What’s the move with Shane Pinto?
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Johnston: “I wouldn’t label him trade bait. I think there’s some teams out there that would like to maybe try to use this situation to acquire Shane Pinto. You know, Philadelphia Flyers among them having inquired on Pinto.
But you know, at this point in time, it’s kind of a unique situation. There’s different cases when restricted free agents aren’t there to start training camp. Sometimes it’s just, you know, leverage point in negotiations. I don’t get the sense at all that there’s a bad feeling in this negotiation. The Senators just don’t have the available cap space to sign him and have him be there right now.
And of course, they could functionally sign him. You’re allowed to be 10% over the cap until the day before the regular season starts. But if they sign him they’re really boxed in because then, you know, when they’re trying to make perhaps a subsequent move to free up space, teams are going to be in no mode to pay what the price would be because they know Ottawa is desperate to make a move.
And so this is unrolling and unfurling on a couple of fronts. Clearly, the Senators would like to clear some salary elsewhere and I think ultimately need to get Pinto signed.
And in the meantime, you’ve got a young player, probably a third liner at this point on the Senators roster, but he had a 20-goal season last year. And, you know, he’s an important part of what they’re building.
You know, obviously, the story around the Senators is all these young players that have drafted and appear to be coming into their own. And the talk is can they push to make the playoffs? You need the depth that Shane Pinto brings in order to put your best foot forward.
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And so, you know, it’s kind of at a standstill as we’re recording this right now. But, you know, I don’t think certainly if the Senators could find a way to free up some money, I don’t think it would take very long to get that deal done, to get Pinto signed and to get him into camp.”