I agree that he should go back and dominated.
For all the flaws the Sens has shown last few years, they seems to want to let the next wave of prospects devellop properly.
If not, L. Brown would be in the NHL, Batherson would have never go back to the AHL. But that's just my opinion
The best development move for Pinto would be for him to play AHL. I've never been able to understand why fans never endorse top prospects staying in CHL for their overage season (correctly so) but so often want NCAA top prospects to stay in college at 20, even though the quality and style of NCAA is closer to and better prepare players for pro.
Everyone keeps saying let him go back and dominate, but I don't see that as an important enough factor, relative to other considerations. He is ready to turn pro. As I said earlier, if we thought he was going to be a top line offensive player in the NHL, it would make sense to let him learn that role in college. But I don't believe that is the case. His upside is a top nine, ~20 goal power forward / grinder. So it makes the most sense to get him learning that role at the pro level.
With every prospect at each level there is a balance and a tipping point, where you need to compare the benefits of staying at their current level (ice time, opportunity, confidence) vs. moving on (maximum growth comes with adversity).
Pinto already ranks 25th in NCAA FOW%. He plays a pro style game and scores pro style goals. He's physically mature enough and his hockey sense is mature enough. There is little benefit to him staying another year in college, compared to the many benefits of turning pro.
There's also the more technical aspects that fans don't always consider: only eight years of RFA left. If he stays at college another year that's ELC and then just four years before UFA. Maybe not a major consideration for many teams, but this is the Ottawa Senators. Also the difference between him signing this summer vs. another year from now is 80 fewer NHL games of waiver exemption. Not an important consideration if we're sure he'll make the transition to NHL smoothly, but just in case he's up and down for a couple years, that 80 game limit before waiver eligibility can be problematic.