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The Ottawa Senators are in a pickle trying to get 20-goal scorer Shane Pinto signed to a new contract. The Sens are nearly maxed out to the cap, with just $120,953 in space to use, according to CapFriendly.

Young, home grown goal scorers like Pinto don’t come along every year and the 32^nd overall pick from 2019 is only 22 years young. The argument can certainly be made that he is just scraping the surface of his potential at the NHL level. Could Pinto end up being a 30-goal scorer in time? Is he going to find a way to distribute the puck more and become a better playmaker? Is his defensive commitment going to improve?

I’ve gone back and forth trying to figure out how Ottawa and Pinto can come to an amicable solution.

Here are some of my thoughts about the process, from a hockey operations perspective:

SHANE PINTO SCOUTING REPORT

• Pinto was sixth in goal scoring for the Senators last season, playing every game and contributing 20 goals and 15 assists. He’s a solid skater with a nose for the net. He definitely leans shooter more than distributor, but did have games last year when his linemates (Mathieu Joseph and Tyler Motte mostly) didn’t cash in on some of his subtle playmaking.

• Over the course of the entire season Pinto averaged 15:58 of ice time. The majority of his time came at even strength and the power play. His shorthanded time on ice averaged just 26 second a game for the year.

• Pinto’s greatest asset is his quick release. When he gets a look at the net, he’s aggressive directing pucks on goal. The Sens used him as a middle bumper/shooter on the power-play.

• A lot of goal scorers are streaky. When they’re hot, they’re hot. When they’re cold, they can run really cold.

• Case in point is when Pinto scored six goals in seven games from October 15-29 last season. He was running hot for a couple weeks and was also a plus-5.

• The flip side reveals Pinto struggling to play to his goal scoring identity. From December 17 to January 28 last season, he scored only two goals and four assists and was a minus-9 over that stretch of games.

• Pinto brings some size to the middle of the Senators lineup. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 201 pounds.

• Despite his stature he cannot be described as a power forward, or physically dominant. In fact, he was only credited with 71 hits and 49 blocked shots in 2022-23. His long reach and ability to shield defenders with his frame is, however, a definite asset.

• The Senators had some awful plus/minus statistics last season and the group as a whole needs to find a way to play with more desire and detail in their own zone. Pinto’s plus/minus looks more like a winning score on the PGA Tour, finishing a minus-21 last season, third-worst among the Sens forward group. The stat is even more alarming considering he won 52 per cent of his face-offs, meaning his group started with the puck more than their opponent.

HOW THE SENATORS HAVE INVESTED IN THEIR CORE

The Senators have invested wisely in their core. Consider these salaries and term:

• Tim Stutzle: $8.35 million AAV through 2030-31     
• Brady Tkachuk: $8.2 million AAV through 2028-29
• Thomas Chabot: $8 million AAV through 2028-29
• Jake Sanderson: $8.05 million AAV through 2031-32 (beginning next season)

All of these contracts have the potential to age very well, especially considering the salary cap should rise substantially over the course of these deals. The Senators should be able to build around this group responsibly.

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WHAT IS SHANE PINTO’S VALUE?

There are several factors that come into play when trying to determine what Pinto is worth compared to his peers.

Consider the age, salary and last season’s stats for the following players and ask yourself if you think Pinto is worthy of the same, while understanding that different players play different roles on their respective teams.

• Warren Foegele, Edmonton Oilers: 27 years old, $2.75M AAV, 67GP-13G-15A
• Ryan Donato, Chicago Blackhawks: 29 years old, $2M AAV, 71GP-14G-17A
• Tanner Jeannot, Tampa Bay Lightning: 26 years old, $2.65M, 76GP-6G-12A
(Note: Jeannot scored 24G-17A the previous season in Nashville)
• Trent Frederic, Boston Bruins: 25 years old, $2.3M, 79GP-17G-14A

SHANE PINTO’S VALUE TO THE SENATORS

Recognizing this exercise isn’t an exact science, I’ve come up with an argument that I believe makes sense on the surface.

Drake Batherson plays in Ottawa’s top six and averaged 18:36 of ice time last season. All of his ice time comes at even strength and the power play.

Batherson scored 22 goals and 40 assists last season. Like Pinto, Batherson played in every game for the Sens. He finished with the worst plus/minus on the entire team (minus-35) and only eight of his goals came at even strength. The other 14 came with the man advantage.

Batherson signed his six-year, $29.85 million ($4.975 million AAV) extension coming out of his entry-level deal and he’s now entering the third year of that contract. It’s a back-loaded deal that paid Batherson only $6 million in the first two seasons combined. Now he’s due $23.85 million over the next four seasons.

If Pinto continues to provide Ottawa with the same results offensively, and cleans up his defensive detail, is he not entitled to a contract that pays at least half of what Batherson is being paid?

If I position the argument this way it results in a new contract for Pinto that lands at around $2.5 million per year. It would be a bridge deal for, likely, two seasons.

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HOW CAN OTTAWA MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

GM Pierre Dorion has, unfortunately, backed himself into a corner. He has been working diligently to improve the roster and find players who are willing to invest in Ottawa long-term. I’m not an insider so I have no idea what’s happening behind closed doors, but there is definitely a contract on the roster that stands out as poor value for the return.

I personally like the way Mathieu Joseph plays. He’s a quick, energetic, honest and competitive player. He’s a bottom six player who can be deployed at even strength as a checker and slot into one of the penalty killing units.

Joseph’s top scoring season at the NHL level came in 2018-19 when he produced 13 goals and 13 assists for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since that time he has played 218 NHL games and only scored 31 goals and 43 assists.

Joseph is overpaid at a $2.95 million AAV that runs through 2025-26. His deal is the outlier that is holding the Senators back.

Goal scorers like Pinto who appear destined to pot 20-plus goals per year on average are worth far more than energy wingers who kill penalties. It sounds harsh, but it’s a reality.

Rumours indicate the Philadelphia Flyers could have interest in Joseph and it’s my opinion that the Sens should explore the opportunity. I understand the cost associated with making the deal is going to sting. Luckily the Senators have two first-round picks at their disposal this season: their own and Detroit’s with many conditions attached. They also have some prospects the Flyers may have interest in acquiring.

Here is what I believe is best for the Senators:

Option 1

Ottawa trades: Mathieu Joseph, Jacob Bernard-Docker, 2025 second-rounder
Philadelphia trades: 2025 fifth-rounder (via Carolina)

Option 2

Ottawa trades: Mathieu Joseph, 2024 first-rounder (via Detroit with conditions)
Philadelphia trades: 2025 third-rounder

After this type of trade, Ottawa could try and sign Pinto to a three-year extension averaging $2.5 million per season. Pinto might counter that down to two years, but either way, this should end up with the Sens getting the valued Pinto back in their lineup.

More from Sportsnet

Gap widens between Senators, Shane Pinto in contract talks

Staios, Andlauer reunite with dream to build Senators into championship organization

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SYDNEY, N.S. — Drake Batherson had a crazy season in 2022-23.

His 22 goals were a career high. Ditto for his 40 assists, 62 points and 33 penalty minutes, all career highs. He appeared in all 82 games for the first time in his young career. 

So why is everyone talking about Batherson, 25, needing a bounce-back season?

It mostly has to do with that -35 in his stat line, also a career high, er, low. 

Only four players in the NHL had worse plus-minus numbers than Batherson last season. 

Is he really a poor defensive forward? I think it has more to do with his physical health and the Senators’ inability to control play last year. The season prior, Batherson was plus 4.

Alex DeBrincat, since traded to Detroit, was -31 last year. Shane Pinto was -21. 

Dashes were still pretty common on a team that surrendered 271 goals and scored 261. 

Though he didn’t complain publicly, the lingering effects of Batherson’s high-ankle sprain injury limited his ability to play an effective two-way game. He was late getting to where he needed to be because he just didn’t have confidence in the ankle he hurt in late January 2022. 

He would tell us later that it took a full year for him to feel right in late January of 2023 and on down the stretch. 

Most of those ugly dashes were picked up in the first half — Batherson was -11 in the month of November and -8 for December. In February and April, he had a zero plus-minus. March was -5.

At this year’s camp, Batherson has been Ottawa’s best forward and he put on a show for his fans in Sydney, N.S., on Sunday. He had 40 friends and family on hand at Centre 200, a rink built in 1987 to mark Canada’s bicentennial. 

Batherson played his junior hockey here for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and it was appropriate for him to shred the Florida Panthers in a 4-2 Ottawa pre-season victory on Sunday. 

“I couldn’t wait to get out there. We’ve been talking about this game all summer,” Batherson said. “Just wanted to take it in and that’s exactly what I did. I’ve had a smile on my face for the last 48 hours, it’s been a lot of fun.” 

It was Batherson the playmaker who stole the show in Sydney, setting up three Ottawa goals while scoring an empty-netter to put a little icing on the cake. 

These passes were gems. His timing on the dish to Jiri Smejkel was exquisite. And on the Parker Kelly goal, Batherson did the heavy lifting, deking Latvian defenceman Uvis Balinskis unmercifully before sliding the puck across to Kelly for the tap-in. Batherson also drew an assist on the goal by Roby Jarventie. Jarventie and Smejkel have both had strong camps for the Senators. 

Look for Batherson to have his “bounce-back” season, if you really want to call it that. 

Tkachuk is in, still no Norris

Captain Brady Tkachuk, recovering from a nasty cut across the top of his nose, near his eye, will return to action against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night in Halifax. 

Tkachuk skated on Monday morning on a line with Tim Stützle and Claude Giroux.

Centre Josh Norris skated but will not play. He still has not tested his shoulder in game action this pre-season since tweaking it prior to camp. Norris had a second surgery on the shoulder last February.

Korpisalo gets the start against Crosby, Pens

Joonas Korpisalo was slated to start against the Penguins and play the entire game. 

Anton Forsberg has raised the bar for his goalie partner. Forsberg, coming back from double MCL tears in his knees last season, was outstanding against Florida on Sunday. Forsberg stopped 33 of 35 shots and his quickness and agility on display were enough to dispel any concerns about his health going into the season. 

Thomson gone 

He was once thought of as the next Sami Salo in Ottawa, a lanky, right-shot Finnish defenceman known for his big shot. But Lassi Thomson, drafted by the Senators 19th overall in 2019, was put on waivers on the weekend and claimed by Anaheim on Sunday. 

Thomson may not be a Duck for long, however. The Ducks are loaded with defence prospects and may have grabbed Thomson for insurance while contract talks continue with Jamie Drysdale, Anaheim’s young right-shot D-man. We shall see if Thomson becomes available again. 

In the meantime, fans will lament a prospect who did not pan out. Thomson actually had a decent camp, but the Senators did not see him making this roster. 

Thomson’s career Ottawa line: 18 games played, five assists. Sixteen of those games were in the 2021-22 season. Last year, Thomson played just two games for the Senators but was productive with AHL Belleville — seven goals, 33 points in 56 games. 

Sens hockey staff gets tougher

Do you think new president of hockey operations Steve Staios and Senators head coach D.J. Smith might have a few things in common?

At all levels combined — junior, pro, NHL — Smith amassed 2,001 PIM. Staios had 1,965. That adds up to 3,966 penalty minutes for the two men combined. 

“Shane, we want you, Shane!”

If you watch any classic television, you may have come across an old black-and-white Duster called Shane. 

It’s a typical good-guy, bad-guy western in which Alan Ladd plays the hero, Shane. 

A little boy named Joey simply adores Shane and seems to run faster than a horse (alas, not a “Pinto” horse) as he sets out to warn Shane of danger and appeal to him to stay and marry Joey’s mother. 

Joey: “We want you, Shane! Come back, Shane!”

In the end, Shane rides off into the sunset. That is certainly not the ending Senators fans expect in these protracted contract negotiations with young centre Shane Pinto. But there is a lot of frustration in Ottawa over the fact nothing has been accomplished in the Pinto situation. 

It hasn’t helped that the Senators are tight to the cap and spent a lot of money elsewhere, without getting their 22-year-old centre signed. Pinto will be 23 next month. 

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the weekend that Ottawa’s latest offer was a one year, $1-million contract. If that seems insulting and below market value, it is, but is also reflective of the cap bind the Sens are in, and comes with a proviso to make things right down the road. 

Not to be alarmist, but the Senators really need Pinto in camp sooner rather than later. Consider that with five exhibition games played, Ottawa’s No. 2 centre, Norris, has not appeared in a game and the No. 3, Pinto, has not even practised with the team. 

This is a huge season for the Senators, facing playoff expectations for the first time in at least five years. Not having Norris and Pinto primed and ready to go is hardly ideal. 

Could this be the week Pinto gets done?

More from Sportsnet

Scout’s Analysis: Shane Pinto’s potential and how Ottawa can make it work

Ducks claim 2019 first-round pick Lassi Thomson off waivers from Senators

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