Senators sign suspended RFA Pinto to 1-year deal

The Ottawa Senators signed restricted free-agent forward Shane Pinto to a one-year deal with an average annual value of $775,000, the team announced Friday.

Pinto has been unable to play this season while serving a 41-game suspension for violating the NHL's gambling policies. He is eligible to return Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Ottawa appears to be working on signing Pinto to a long-term pact, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

If Pinto's new pact goes into effect on Sunday, he will earn a prorated salary of just under $360,000 for the remainder of the campaign, according to CapFriendly.

Pinto is the first player in the league's modern era to be suspended for gambling. Details surrounding the reasoning for his ban are scarce, but no evidence was found to suggest that Pinto bet on NHL games.

The 23-year-old began skating with the Senators last week and told the media he was "caught off guard" by his half-season suspension, though he hopes his experience can serve as a cautionary tale for other players.

Pinto put up 20 goals and 35 points in 82 games last campaign. He was limited to five contests in 2021-22 due to a shoulder injury. Ottawa selected him in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft.

The Senators were expected to take a step this season, but they've wildly fallen short of expectations. They sit in last place of the Atlantic Division with a 16-24-0 record and are 19 points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.