Josh Norris and Shane Pinto add depth up middle for Ottawa Senators

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The long wait will finally end for Shane Pinto on Sunday.

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Suspended by the National Hockey League for 41 games in October because he violated its gambling rules, Pinto will suit up for the first time this season against the host Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Arena.

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The 23-year-old Pinto will be a welcome addition after he signed a one-year contract worth $775,000 U.S. on Friday and should provide bring some much-needed depth at centre. Pinto has been skating with the Senators for the past 10 days after returning to Ottawa in December.

Teammates will be happy to have him.

“He’s looking good and he’s looking strong,” Ottawa defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker said. “If you can insert a guy like that, it’s just going to help everybody else down the lineup. We’re looking forward to having him back.”

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The past six months have been tough for Pinto.

After missing training camp in September because the Senators had no cap room to sign him as a restricted free agent, Pinto returned to Ottawa and was closing in on a two-year deal worth $2.1 million per season when he learned the NHL was investigating him for “activities related to sports wagering.”

The Senators were told rescind all contract offers and Pinto returned home to Franklin, N.Y. He co-operated with the investigation, and sources say he was told in a face-to-face meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman that the suspension would be harsh.

While Bettman was certain Pinto didn’t wager on league games, sources told Postmedia his online gambling account in the United States was flagged by a company that is a league partner because of unusual activity and it contacted the NHL’s head office.

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The NHL Players’ Association negotiated the settlement on Pinto’s behalf and there was no appeal by either the union, the Senators or his New York-based agent, Lewis Gross.

It has been a long, difficult road, but Pinto can finally close the chapter on this nightmarish scenario by facing the Flyers and then look ahead. The last time he suited up was April 13 last season, when the Senators played their final game of the schedule against the Buffalo Sabres.

“I can’t really put myself in his shoes because that’s a tough, tough situation,” said Bernard-Docker, also a teammate of Pinto’s at the University of North Dakota. “I felt like my summer was long and his was twice as long. He hasn’t played a game in nearly a year.

“From talking to him he’s pretty pumped up and a little nervous because he hasn’t played in nine months. I’m sure he’ll get his feet right back under him in a few games and he’ll be a big part of this team.”

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Don’t kid yourself, the Senators have missed Pinto.

He had 20 goals and 15 assists for 35 points in 82 games last season. He’s good at both ends of the ice, can help out defensively and will have the support of teammates when the going gets tough.

“I was joking with him the other day that he’s going to have the freshest legs on this team,” Bernard-Docker said. “He’s a strong kid and he’s just going to help our lineup improve a lot.

“We love the guy, he’s awesome, he’s excited, but I think the whole group thinks it’s awesome to have him back. This is going to be a huge boost to our morale.”

More good news for the Senators is that Steve Staios, the president of hockey operations and general manager, won’t have to make any roster moves to fit Pinto under the salary cap.

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With goaltender Anton Forsberg on long-term injury reserve until after the all-star break, the Senators have $1.05 million in cap space.

DEPTH UP FRONT

Centre Josh Norris returned against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday from an upper-body ailment in the Jan. 9 contest against the Calgary Flames.

Norris missed four games after falling awkwardly following a hit from Calgary’s Elias Lindholm. That’s good news for the Senators because they’ll finally have the depth in the middle they’ve been searching for all season.

With Pinto making his return and Norris also back, the Senators will have all of their top three centres — including Tim Stutzle — for the first time in a year. The last time Stutzle, Norris and Pinto played in the same game was Jan. 21, 2023, against the Jets.

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While Pinto normally skates as the No. 1 centre, interim coach Jacques Martin opted not to disturb his top two lines on Saturday. The club scratched rugged winger Zack MacEwen for this one.

That meant Ridly Greig stayed between captain Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux, while the second line stayed intact with Stuzle skating between Mathieu Joseph and Drake Batherson.

“I like what Ridly has brought with Tkachuk and Giroux,” Martin said.

Instead, Norris, who plays a key on the power play, skated with Parker Kelly and Vladimir Tarasenko on the third line. It’s interesting to note that Mark Kastelic was moved to wing on the fourth line with Rourke Chartier in the middle.

Norris left briefly in the second period on Saturday Jets after taking a puck in the midsection. Fortunately, he wasn’t gone for long.

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

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