Big situation for the Sens and their fans, to keep an eye on. There’s a lot of scouts and people around the game, who think very highly of Shane Pinto. The Sens “HAD” also put their cards on the table already, with who they’ve chosen to invest in long-term BUT as Garrioch said between periods last night, this new regime owes nothing to the current roster. If they believe Pinto is that long-term 2C, decisions will be coming. Maybe as soon as this summer. Would anyone be shocked if Norris is moved? Chabot? Batherson? You shouldn’t be.
Those players are owed no loyalty now. Not with a new management team.
If he comes back and plays well, there’s a good chance his $2.5-$3 million ask prior to his suspension, will grow substantially. Not even counting the next contract, and that’s the big question.
The good thing is, they have some time here. If he comes back and has a horrible next month, there’s probably a good chance he’s sent packing too. The new regime may not want to drag out a contract negotiation this summer. A slow start is expected obviously not playing for so long, but within 10 games, he should be up to speed. Those next stretches of games could determine alot of what happens with the Sens moving forward.
Teams will always line up to acquire a pivot with his size/skill. Terribly underrated on this site. Purely because of where he was drafted. Make no mistake though. Teams would love to get their hands on Pinto. The worse thing that can happen, is this new management acts too quickly on Pinto and chooses to just cut ties for much cheaper than he’s worth. Guarantee teams will be calling to find out..
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