Flyers, others interested clubs rebuffed by Senators on RFA Pinto
Published
While the Ottawa Senators appear set to open training camp without restricted free agent Shane Pinto, the team does not intend to trade him.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports the Philadelphia Flyers are among the teams that have contacted the Senators regarding Pinto, only to be shut down by Ottawa.
"When you look at the Senators’ top nine, the expectation is that he's going to centre that third line," Dreger said on Insider Trading. "D.J. Smith, the coaching staff, management, wants and needs Pinto to be part of the package out of the gate… new ownership is coming in, so there's a lot of heat on the GM, a lot of heat on the head coach, but teams have inquired about Pinto.
"[The] Philadelphia Flyers, other clubs were told they're not trading him, he's too important."
Pinto was not on the 56-player training camp roster released by the Senators Tuesday as he continues to wait for a new deal.
The 22-year-old forward recorded 20 goals and 35 points in 82 games, his first full season in the NHL. He appeared in just five games in 2021-22 due to a shoulder injury.
"He's not going to sign his qualifying offer, which is $875,000, his representative Lewis Gross has made that clear to the Senators," TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun added. "The problem is general manager Pierre Dorion, they don't have a lot of money in the cap to give him more than that, so that's at a standstill right now. But very positive talks. That thing can get done at any time as long as the Senators can find a bit more money to pay Pinto.
The Senators currently have $120,953 in cap space for the 2023-24 season, per CapFriendly, without using long-term injured reserve. Ottawa has more than $5 million in dead cap this season after retaining salary on Matt Murray and their previous buyouts of Bobby Ryan, Colin White, and Michael Del Zotto.