Senators Admit To "A Problem" Trying To Get Shane Pinto Signed

The frustrating Shane Pinto situation continues in Ottawa, where the Senators' restricted free agent remains unsigned, one of the last handful of players around the league in that scenario. 

But for new owner Michael Andlauer, he admits that there's no easy solution to get the 20-goal scorer under contract. He goes so far as to call it a "problem."

"We're at the cap. We have a problem signing Shane Pinto because we are at the cap. At the end of the end of the day, it's about sustainability and making sure we have enough money in the coffers to pay our players and making sure we're sustainable," says Andlauer. (1)

— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) September 25, 2023

"We're at the cap," said Andlauer. "We have a problem signing Shane Pinto because we are at the cap. At the end of the day, it's about sustainability and making sure we have enough money in the coffers to pay our players and making sure we're sustainable."

It's a tough situation, as Pinto, coming off a 20-goal rookie season, is not in camp with the rest of his teammates as the standoff continues. The Sens have less than $1M in cap space, while the 22-year-old center is said to be looking for a deal in the $2.1M range. 

At least some Senators fans are looking at the bright side of this odd situation in Ottawa. 

As much as it sucks to not be able to sign Pinto...Have to say being at the cap is something never been done before by this franchise..Is a wonderful conundrum to be in as a fan

— Roadcone🇨🇦🇺🇲🇳🇱🇦🇺 (@BruceRi81726656) September 25, 2023

Regardless of how this turns out, it sounds like Pinto's teammates are backing him 100% and will welcome him back—whenever that is—with open arms.

"He knows we have his back," said captain Brady Tkachuk. "And, once he does get back, that he’ll be ready to go and thrown right into the fire," he told the Ottawa Sun. "Hopefully, it gets done soon, but the big message is that we have his back no matter what." 

Pinto had a breakout rookie season in 2022-23, popping 20 goals to go along with 15 assists while playing 16 minutes per night. 

Photo: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports