Shane Pinto has elevated his game to a whole other level in 2025-26 for the Ottawa Senators, and for him individually. Call it being a professional, having that five-tool skillset, with a bit of added experience, hey, he has even been putting on the muscle. Whatever it is, it seems Pinto has arrived into the status of the elite of the NHL.
Shane Pinto’s Success Goes Beyond the Stats
Simply put, Pinto is a presence on the ice this season for the Senators. It really isn’t a pipe dream that he could make Team USA at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. It seems the invite to the American orientation camp this past summer, and the confidence it provided, has carried over to the regular season.
Pinto has truly developed in the type of player that you need to win. Is he a top-line goal scorer? Well, no. But you need more than one line to win in the NHL. That has long been the standard. Moreover, that is the type of game that Pinto provides. He controls the game, whether that is shutting down his opposition or maintaining puck possession long enough until the offence happens.
His poise with the puck, is likely only rivaled on the Sens by Jake Sanderson. Even still Pinto has great posture, and always looks like a scoring threat. But you don’t know if it’s a wrister under the bar, or a rocket, pin-point, cross-seam pass.
We know about the Senators incredible record when he scores a point. Last year it was somehow 26-1-1. Like what?!? There’s also the fact that he is a two-time, 20-goal scorer in the NHL. It is in itself impressive. Especially so, when you consider he’s not a first liner or top power play guy. He spends more time as a defensive zone specialist, but not in the one-dimensional sense, in the sense he’s the best available option at any given time. This year among Sen forwards at 5v5, his 14.6% defensive zone starts, leads the group.
His offensive game has been trending upwards the past few campaigns, anyway. In his suspended-shortened campaign of 2023-24, he had a decent scoring rate. 27 points in 41 games is nothing to shake a stick at. Then last year everybody was thinking he would really take off. If it weren’t for the slump in the fall, perhaps he would’ve. You may recall he went a span of 15 games without recording a single point. Moreover, his final stats of 21 goals and 16 assists in 70 games, ain’t too shabby.
Understanding the Possibility of Sustainability of his White Hot Start
Some offensive stats at 5v5, really show how effective Pinto has been. On-ice expected goals differential for Pinto is 2.1. This ranks 54th among 397 qualifying forwards who have played a minimum of 50 minutes. That puts him in the 86th percentile. Also, in terms of points-per-60-minutes his 3.05 rating has him ranked even higher. That puts him 34th, or the 91st percentile. We will add, he’s actually third on the Sens. Tim Stutzle at 3.24 and Drake Batherson at 3.1, are ahead of him.
The idea is, these high-ranking complete offensive game metrics seem to indicate he can maintain his hot start. Maybe not by scoring 50-60 goals, but eventually balancing it out with assists. His 22.9 shooting percentage isn’t totally sustainable, but he was at 16.5% last year.
Of course, what this all means is that Pinto is about to get paid. We recently chatted about him in our rumours article. We like the take away of Dylan Cozens as a logical benchmark, in terms of annual average value. For now, the Sens are looking for a balanced, sustained offensive attack. Pinto is a very valuable asset for this and helping to balance both sides of the puck. It does seem Pinto’s game goes beyond the stat line. Look for him to continue to help guide the Sens, and remain in the Team USA conversation.
Main Photo Credit: Dennis Schneidler – Imagn Images
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