Is Shane Pinto the right fit for the Flyers?

One player under consideration is Shane Pinto, a 22-year-old center from Franklin Square, NY, who was selected 32nd overall in the second round of the 2019 draft by the Senators. During last year's season, he played all 82 games, scoring twenty goals with 15 assists for a total of 35 points but had a dismal -21 plus/minus rating.

Currently, Pinto and the Senators find themselves in an impasse regarding a new contract extension. According to capfreindly.com Pinto has not accumulated enough time to be a Group 2 RFA. He has been desiganted as a 10.2 player. This means he can only negotiate with the team that holds his rights. He also cannot be offer sheeted and does not have arbitration rights. It means his options are very limited.

This raises the question: should the Flyers make a pitch to acquire his rights and attempt to finalize the deal themselves?

It appears that the Flyers did make a push for Pinto, as discussed by Elliot Friedman and Jeff Marek on the "32 Thoughts" podcast today.

The notion is that the Flyers would acquire Pinto along with Mattieu Joseph as a salary dump. Joesph has three years remaining on his contract at $2.95 million per season.

It's also worth noting that the Flyers have moved on from this offer, as they don't anticipate receiving anything in return at the moment.

A player like Pinto would undoubtedly help bolster the Flyers' rebuilding phase, as he would be a suitable addition to their second or third lines. You can never have too many centers, and he would provide valuable depth for the team as they progress.

Furthermore, the upside of this player is quite high, given his young age and potential for improvement. In a rebuilding phase, players come and go frequently, as General Manager Danny Briere will soon discover.

It's also important to consider that you can deal from a position of depth. If Pinto doesn't live up to expectations for the Flyers, they could trade him to another team for additional assets if necessary.

However, I believe Pinto would integrate well with the Flyers and enhance their overall skill level.