It may be early, but the Ottawa Senators in one, and injuries, although not many, are a reason why. The big injury right now to discuss for the Ottawa Senators is Shane Pinto. His injury is considered week-to-week, and thanks to the tight-lipped head coach Travis Green, what the actual injury is remains a mystery and is currently classified as undisclosed.
The Shane Pinto Injury Is More Significant With Each Game That Passes
For the injury itself, both what it is and the timeline are unknowns. Pinto last played against the Utah Hockey Club last Tuesday, and did finish that game. Sen fans hope there is no recurrence of the old shoulder injury that Pinto has had in the past. Additionally, the injury’s impact is further compounded by the fact that David Perron is out. Perron is known to be dealing with some important family issues, and his family is wished all the best at this tough time.
The reason these two absences are so impactful is their roles. As depth, reliable, hard on the puck, and able to chip in offensively contributors, the Sens really need them in the lineup. Perron’s influence on the lineup might not be quite as much as Pinto’s, but he would be a perfect supporting cast given Pinto’s absence. The fact that both players are temporarily out of action, given their commonality of intangibles, is tough on the roster. So, just what makes centre Shane Pinto specifically such a great influence on the Sens roster composition?
Pinto’s Standing Among the Sens Forward Group
Pinto is basically the Sens best two-way forward. When the lineup is fully staffed, Pinto lands as the third-line centre behind Tim Stutzle and Joshua Norris. He is probably one of the better third liners in the entire NHL, forget just the team. Furthermore, the team relies on him to be responsible for defensive zone faceoffs, as well as added penalty killing to his resume into this season. To prove Pinto’s impact, let’s study some stats.
In 2022-23, Pinto scored 20 goals as an NHL rookie. Into last year and continued into this campaign, he is consistently around 17 and a half to 18 minutes a night. His offensive consistency is there, with 27 points in 41 games last year. So far, he’s at that significant 0.5 point-per-game place, with three in six contests. Also, his career faceoff percentage locks in at 49.8%. A very good mark for a young player in the NHL.
Individual and Team Numbers Don’t Lie
If you still don’t believe in his impact, check out the team’s performance with him in the lineup. Over the course of his career, the Sens are a remarkable 42-10-6 when he records a point, 3-0 this season. In case you’re curious, that’s good for .776 winning percentage. Even with him just in the lineup, Ottawa has a .562 WIN%, compared with .417 WIN% with him not in it.
In any sense, you can talk about accountability and professionalism all you want in your team’s management staff. However, having players of this magnitude missing time, can be very hard on your organization. The accountability comes in with, what do you do about it? Do you sit idly by, and let your replacements be out-classed by superior teams’ players, or do you put on your big-boy pants. So far, players like Adam Gaudette and Cole Reinhardt have done admirably filling in. Or perhaps, you need to explore external options. The additions of Michael Amadio, Nick Cousins, and Noah Gregor were excellent for the roster, but in the case of injuries, maybe more of the same is needed.
Main Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers – USA TODAY Sports
