OTTAWA - The money is calling for Shane Pinto and right now his play is answering.
The Ottawa Senators forward scored his league-leading sixth of the season and the shootout winner Thursday night in a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken.
Pinto, who is in the final season of a two-year contract extension that pays him US$3.75 million per year, is turning heads and boosting his value with his early season play. While he鈥檚 happy to contribute, the 24-year-old is urging caution.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a long season,鈥 Pinto said with a laugh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 only five games in so, yeah, hopefully I can just stay consistent.鈥
Last season, Pinto, who finished with a career-high 21 goals and 16 assists, showed how he can contribute offensively, adding to his defensive abilities. Pinto is a key member of the Senators penalty kill.
Coming into camp, Pinto admitted he didn鈥檛 want his contract status to be a distraction. Contract discussions have been held between the Senators and Pinto鈥檚 agent, but nothing has come to fruition from the early discourse.
Pinto鈥檚 success hasn鈥檛 been lost on his teammates.
Every time he steps in front of the cameras post-game, his teammates can鈥檛 resist chiming in with a chorus of 鈥渃ha-ching鈥 reminding him of the payday his play is earning him.聽
鈥淗e鈥檚 such a great guy, and we鈥檙e all just so happy for him right now,鈥 said forward Dylan Cozens. 鈥淗e鈥檚 playing awesome hockey. He鈥檚 an unbelievable player and he plays the game the right way, and he鈥檚 getting rewarded for it.鈥
With the Senators playing without captain Brady Tkachuk, who underwent surgery to his right thumb, Ottawa will need others to step up and if Pinto can be that guy, everyone will benefit.
Head coach Travis Green is happy with his forward鈥檚 play, but also cautious in his praise.
鈥淗e鈥檚 one of those guys that when we talked about our team improving that you鈥檇 hope that he鈥檇 come back and be a better player than he was last year,鈥 said Green.聽
鈥淪o, we鈥檙e not sure where he ends up as a player. I think there鈥檚 lots of our guys that you can say the same thing about. Happy for him, but I haven鈥檛 talked to him a whole lot, to be honest, first five games and for a reason, but he鈥檚 definitely playing well.鈥
Green emphasized the importance of playing well on both sides of the puck and how it usually translates into success.
鈥淗is details are sharp," said Green. "He鈥檚 got a quick release; he works hard and that鈥檚 kind of how we want to play.鈥
Pinto, a member of Team USA鈥檚 gold medal-winning team at the world championships, has placed himself on the radar for the U.S. Olympic team. He already earned an invitation to the team鈥檚 summer orientation camp and the way he鈥檚 started this season will only strengthen his case.
鈥淵ou can see the confidence,鈥 said Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark. 鈥淐an see a little bit more swagger as well, kind of blossomed a little bit鈥e鈥檚 doing the right job.鈥
This report by 好色tvwas first published Oct. 16, 2025.
