Rumor: Senators make big mistake in Pinto negotiations.

The Ottawa Senators may have bungled one of their most important contract negotiations of the offseason.

As every fan in Ottawa already knows, the Senators have been unable to come to terms on a new deal with 22 year old forward Shane Pinto, and it sounds like they may have managed to make an already difficult situation even worse.

On Saturday, National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the two sides were now further apart than ever after the Senators submitted an offer that left Pinto and his camp feeling disappointed. Friedman reports that the offer submitted was a one year deal valued at just $1 million, a far cry from the average annual value of $2.5 million that Pinto is believed to be looking for on a new deal.

A mistake of this magnitude with the season just 10 days away is less than ideal for the Sens and could even potentially lead to a trade demand from the young forward.

Pinto, a former 2nd round draft pick (32nd overall) from the Senators at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, is coming off of a very impressive 82 game season that saw him put up 20 goals and add 15 assists, a total of 35 points,