The Ottawa Senators have been ravaged by injuries this year. And while injuries are often used as an excuse to dismiss poor play, there’s certainly a case to be made that the 2021-22 Senators record was severely impacted by their oversized injured reserve list.
These aren’t just role players who missed significant time, but core pieces of their rebuild we’re talking about. Here’s a few of the significant contributors who missed time this year due to injury:
Drake Batherson: 36 games
Thomas Chabot: 23 games
Colin White: 58 games
Josh Norris: 16 games
Connor Brown: 18 games
While all 5 of these skaters are everyday NHL players, there is one more name left off the table, Shane Pinto. Coming into the season, Pinto’s name was thrown all over the place regarding where he might start the season. Many argued he should develop his offensive game in the AHL, while others believed he should be the Sens’ second- or third-line center.
Well, that’s why the pre-season exists, and Pinto dominated in the games that he was put in. The point production was great with 4 points in 4 games, 15 shots on goal and 20 minutes of ice time. What was impressive was how coachable he was at a very young age. As a 20-year-old center, Pinto was relied on heavily by coach DJ Smith in a variety of situations. Pinto was proving he didn’t need a minute of ice time in the AHL.
His strong preseason allowed him to make the opening lineup, slotting in on the third line. But in his fourth game of the season, he injured his shoulder against the San Jose Sharks as he was coming down the right wing in the offensive zone. After taking a hit from defenseman Mario Ferraro he fell awkwardly into the boards injuring his shoulder. 9 games later, he returned to the lineup. The Senators were on a 6-game losing streak and were looking forward to getting a key center back. However, on a faceoff he tweaked his shoulder once again, forcing him to be placed on long term injured reserve. Since November 13th, Shane Pinto has not played an NHL game.
The Senators have a history of very good 3rd line centers, such as Chris Kelly and Jean Gabriel Pageau. Pinto seems to have much more potential though, and the third line center spot should be locked down for years to come. When Pinto signed his entry level contract in April 2021, he stepped in right away as an NHL player. Usually young players, especially centers, take a couple years to get used to the grind playing the middle of the ice.
In his first NHL game, he was killing penalties and preserving the lead in the final minutes of the game. In his first three contests this year, he played an average of 19 minutes. He’s always going to have the trust from his coaches defensively and will get even better with more NHL experience.
One skill in particular that Pinto brings to the table is winning faceoffs. In his two years in the NCAA, he won 62% of his faceoffs. He will struggle getting used to NHL faceoffs, and we’ve seen this with his 38% faceoff percentage through his first 17 games, but once he gets more reps, he will be one of the better faceoff specialists in the league.
Even if he relies on defensive awareness and faceoffs his entire career, he will always be a 4th line center. But what upgrades him to a third line center is his offensive play. When he was drafted 32nd overall in 2019, he had scored 59 points in 56 games for the USDP. It was great production, but many people questioned his offensive IQ.
He would often take the safe route in the offensive zone. Plays like dumping the puck in, instead of carrying it into the zone happened more than it needed to. Once he stepped into the NCAA with North Dakota for 2 seasons, his offensive production flourished. He displayed flashes of brilliance beating defenders 1 on 1, and even playing the half wall on the powerplay.
He ended his tenure with 60 points in 61 career games, stepping right into the NHL after the 2020-21 season concluded. And in his first 12 games with the Sens that year, he scored 7 points.
Pinto has never been the fastest, most creative player, but he is so well rounded at such a young age. He can score, hit, pass, and bring all the little details (like faceoffs) that coaches will love. It was clear that his injury left a gaping hole in the Senators lineup this year. Look for him to have a breakout season in 2022-23.
-Damian Smith
Twitter: @Damian__Smith