Senators Must Resolve Shane Pinto's Contract Situation or Trade Him Amid NHL Rumors

The Ottawa Senators do not want to trade restricted free agent Shane Pinto.

Pinto does not want to go anywhere else.

That has not been enough to bring the two sides together on a new deal, however, as the franchise and its 22 year old center remain apart on a new contract, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.

"Both sides have reached a stalemate after discussions earlier this week and remains to be seen whether either will bend to try to get the 22-year-old Pinto signed to a deal to try to get him into camp in time to suit up for the club's final exhibition game against the Montreal Canadiens Saturday," Garrioch wrote.

Elliotte Friedman had previously reported that the team had offered Pinto a one-year, $1 million deal but it caused the gap between the sides to widen as the player is looking for a $2.5 million contract.

The team is hurting for salary cap room, with just $118,096 available as estimated by Spotrac.

Ottawa will likely have to field a roster smaller than most to make any deal with Pinto work but the fact that negotiations are ongoing suggests the team would be comfortable doing just that.

Pinto is not a starter for the Senators but he does provide valuable depth at center behind Josh Norris and Tim Stutzle. In 82 games for Ottawa a season ago, Pinto scored 20 goals and tacked on 15 assists and a shooting percentage of 12.7, showing flashes of the dynamic player he can be.

He is more a shooter and scorer than someone who is going to dish the puck to teammates. He is aggressive and attacks the goal, something teams want out of young players.

Taking his youth into consideration, not to mention the potential for growth as a player, it is not particularly surprising that the team would not be in a hurry to trade him. With that said, the start of the NHL season is rapidly approaching and if the team is going to get anything of substance in return for Pinto, it will be now.

Add to that the potential distraction the contract dispute becomes and you have two legitimate reasons to make a deal if it is determined the sides cannot come to an agreement.

Luckily, it appears as though the sides have made some leeway and may get a deal done at the final hour.

Garrioch added, "The belief is there was progress made on a two-year deal this week and if this going to get settled that's where the term will likely land."

Any setback, though, and the team must do what neither side wants: make a deal that would squash any long-term drama and give the Senators at least something in return for a player with plenty of potential to be the long-term future of the organization at his position.