The Ottawa Senators were managing alright without captain Brady Tkachuk, but, notwithstanding his return, the recent stretch has been forgettable at best. The Sens have lost three of their last four matches, and as they prepare to meet the St. Louis Blues at the Canadian Tire Centre on December 6, the team has yet another hurdle to overcome.

The Senators now sit in the middle of the Atlantic Division with 30 points, wedged between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Amid it all, a reliable 25-year-old has been sidelined by a lower-body injury.

Ottawa Senators Share Shane Pinto’s Injury Update

Shane Pinto was among the players that the Sens could have blindly relied on this season, but the unsuccessful campaign against the New York Rangers turned that on its head. The 25-year-old forward was checked along the boards by the Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad before skating to the bench, bearing visible signs of discomfort. Pinto has sustained a lower-body injury, and the latest update on that front can be either encouraging or discouraging, depending on your perspective.

Senators coach Travis Green stated that the forward, who is currently on a four-year, $30 million contract with Ottawa, will be out for a minimum of two weeks, although surgery is not currently necessary. “Shane Pinto will be out a minimum of two weeks and possibly more #Sens No surgery required,” shared Senators journalist Bruce Garrioch. 

However, the Senators managed impressively well when their captain was out for a considerable period. Surely, they can do so again? However, this time, Green couldn’t help but express some concern over Pinto’s absence. “Usually one to quickly point to the ‘next man up’ mentality the Sens have embraced through a handful of injuries through the first two months of the season, Green instead spoke about the challenges that his absence will present for the group.

‘It doesn’t get more important than that,’ stated Green, highlighting the 25-year-old’s mammoth role. ‘He plays the power play, he plays the penalty kill, he plays when you’re up a goal, good chance he’ll play when you’re down a goal, he’s a big part of our team,’” Ottawa Senators’ Andrew Wilimek reported.

Of course, the Sens can call upon reinforcements from the Belleville Senators. There is Stephen Halliday, but even though his limited time on ice for the Sens has shown promise, there is still a long way to go. “I think the message we [and Belleville head coach David Bell] have tried to give him is it’s not just going to be about creating offence when you go up and you play in that role. And yet, it’s also a bonus if you get some offence from that role.”

Whether the Sens can get around this impasse to emerge victorious against the Blues on home ice remains to be seen.