Ottawa Senators surprise everyone with Shane Pinto selection

In a move that surprised many in the world of hockey, the Ottawa Senators selected centreman Shane Pinto with the 32nd overall pick.

Shane Pinto became the first player selected on Day Two of the 2019 NHL Draft, with the Ottawa Senators deciding to stick with their selection amidst plenty of interest around the league.

With players such as Arthur Kaliyev, Raphael Lavoie and Bobby Brink still available, the decision to pick Pinto is one that has surprised and shocked many.

By all account, Pinto has had a solid draft year playing in the USHL – splitting the season between the Lincoln Stars and Tri-City Storm.

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In 56 combined regular season games, Pinto scored 28 goals and had 59 total points – adding a further four goals and nine total points in six playoff games with the Storm.

He earned a spot on the USHL’s All-Rookie Team for his impressive single season in the top tier of junior hockey in the USA.

Pinto was another player that had draft rankings with an exceedingly large range, seeing the Franklin Square, New York native ranked the 28th best North American prospect, but also received rankings as low as 105 and 106 by McKeen’s Hockey and Future Considerations respectively.

The 6-foot-2, 192lbs right-handed centre will spend the 2019/20 season seasoning his game in college hockey, being committed to the University of North Dakota programme.

This will see Pinto link up with fellow Ottawa Senators prospects Jonny Tychonick and Jacob Bernard-Docker, should the pair return to college next season.

Having all three prospects playing together allows the Senators a unique opportunity to see how they work as a team long before they make the jump up to the professional level.

With college beginning to be a preferred destination for a number of top young prospects in hockey, it is comforting for the Senators to know that three of their own future stars will be learning the ropes together – something that could lead to greater chemistry later on in their careers.

But what do you think Sens fans? Are you surprised by this pick? Would you have preferred someone such as Kaliyev or Brink? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!