Hockey

Shane Pinto at $7.5M: the price of keeping a guy in Ottawa
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Shane Pinto at $7.5M: the price of keeping a guy in Ottawa
Credit: Getty Images

For months, the Ottawa Senators have been trying to sign Shane Pinto.

And now it's done: the Senators can announce that Shane Pinto, who would have been a restricted free agent in 2026 and an unrestricted free agent in 2028, has agreed to a four-year contract.

He'll earn… an average of $7.5 million a year.

It's understandable that Pinto is progressing year after year and has 14 points in 17 games this season. We understand that salaries are going up in the NHL. We also understand that he's about to be bought out for two full years.

But Pinto (who was suspended for betting two years ago) remains a player who has been in the league since 2021 and who has historically never passed the 37-point mark in his career.

As a center behind Tim Stutzle and Dylan Cozens, he's expected to play on a bottom-6. And yet, he's paid almost as much as Juraj Slafkovsky ($7.6 M per year), who plays on the first line in Montreal.

Slaf also got years of full autonomy in his deal: an important detail to mention.

Yes, prices are going up in the NHL… but it also goes to show that convincing an American to sign in Ottawa doesn't necessarily come cheap either, you know.

But still: $7.5 million for a third center is something. I'm not saying he only deserved $3M a year either, but it's still a good amount.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

Pinto, who can refuse to be traded to 10 teams from 2028 to 2030, will certainly stabilize the Sens' center league in the medium term. This was no doubt part of Steve Staios' thinking.

Will the Sens be caught flat-footed in a few years' time? We'll have to wait and see.


overtime

– Enjoy.

– Wayne Gretzky on the history of the 51st state. [TVAS]

– It got people talking.

– Should we worry about Samuel Montembeault?

– Sad news.

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