The Ottawa Senators have signed restricted free agent forward Shane Pinto to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $775K, and he is eligible to return to action on Sunday in Philadelphia vs the Flyers. He was suspended by the NHL for 41 games for gambling related issues. He was first on the ice this morning ahead of practice.
Elliotte Friedman tweeted, “League minimum for this season, but sounds like there is work being done on a longer-term deal.”
As the Senators wrote in their article saying Pinto was signed, the player broke out last season playing an elevated role in the absence of Josh Norris. He put up career highs of 20 goals and 15 assists for 35 total points while skating in all 82 games for the Senators.
Back in October, the team and the player made statements about Pinto’s gambling suspension. The Senators wrote, “We were made aware of the National Hockey League investigation into this matter and additional information was made available to the club upon the completion of the league’s investigation yesterday.” They added, “Shane is a valued member of our hockey club; an engaging, intelligent young man who made poor decisions that have resulted in a suspension by the National Hockey League. We know he is remorseful for his mistakes.”
The team stayed true to their word and always had a place for him on the team when his suspension was over.
At that time, Pinto said:
“I want to apologize to the National Hockey League, the Ottawa Senators, my teammates, the fans and city of Ottawa and most importantly my family. I take full responsibility for my actions and look forward to getting back on the ice with my team.”
1-Year Deal Will Let Pinto Get Career Back on Track
Pinto still needs to prove if he can be a legit top-six forward one day. That said, getting back on the ince and into the NHL is a step in the right direction. Selected in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft, the University of North Dakota (UND) alum recorded an impressive 31 goals and 29 assists, accumulating a total of 60 points in 61 games throughout his two collegiate seasons.
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