Ottawa Senators prospect Shane Pinto continues to impress
A lot of eyebrows were raised when the Ottawa Senators selected Shane Pinto in the 2019 Draft, but the young centre continues to impress.
The Ottawa Senators overlooked some highly-rated prospects when they selected Shane Pinto in the second round (32nd overall) of the draft, but the choice appears to have been an excellent one for the organisation.
The 6-foot-2, 192lbs centreman was selected after a season in the USHL where he was more than a point-per-game player in spells with the Lincoln Stars (30GP, 17G-15A) and Tri-City Storm (26GP, 11G-16A).
Since being selected by the Senators, Pinto linked up with the University of North Dakota program, one that already had fellow Sens prospects Jacob Bernard-Docker and Jonny Tychonick on their books.
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In his freshman season in college, Pinto has stepped up in a big way. In 17 appearances for the Fighting Hawks, Pinto is the team’s top goalscorer with eight and has 14 total points – tied with Bernard-Docker, making them both joint-highest teenage scorers on the team.
His play has seen him feature regularly in the team’s top-six forwards, lending to a potential progression up into the NHL at a much faster rate than previously expected when he was initially drafted.
His impressive first year in the NCAA also saw him earn international recognition with Team USA, earning a spot on their World Junior Championship roster.
Having earned himself a place on the team, Pinto went all-out in USA’s opening game of the tournament, a 6-4 loss to Team Canada. His goalscoring talents were on full display as the Franklin Square, New York native earned two goals and added a further assist.
Pinto was also unlucky to not to earn his hat trick, having a third goal waved off as it slid over the line just as the second-period buzzer sounded.
Despite his country losing, Pinto’s individual performance bodes well for the rest of the tournament and will give Sens fans plenty to watch over the next few days.
A strong showing at the World Juniors will certainly make the Senators organisation pay closer attention to their promising young prospect, who seems to be going from strength to strength as his draft+1 year progresses.
Fans of the Ottawa Senators will be pleased to see the organisation’s early-round prospects impressing this season, with many fully buying into the rebuild and the reliance on draft picks that it entails.
Sens shouldn't acquire more centres. dark. Next
What do you think Sens fans? Have you been impressed with Pinto’s performances this season? How do you feel about him compared to when he was first drafted? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!