Ottawa Senators will be without centre Shane Pinto versus the St. Louis Blues

The Ottawa Senators will have to move forward without one of their top centres for the foreseeable future.

Third-line centre Shane Pinto will not face the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night at the Canadian Tire Centre after he left the club’s 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers with a lower-body injury in the first period.

Coach Travis Green didn’t have an update for reporters following the team’s off-ice workout on Friday. Still, he confirmed that Pinto isn’t ready to play after taking a hit from Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad.

It’s believed Pinto was sent for further testing on Friday, which will give the club’s medical staff a better idea of how long he will be out. Losing Pinto is a significant blow because he plays big minutes in serious situations.

“Just start with the matchups because he usually plays against the other team’s top lines, so it doesn’t get more important than that,” said Green. “He plays the power play, and he kills penalties. When you’re up a goal or down a goal, there is a good chance he’ll play.

“He’s a big part of our team.”

This is a tough blow for Pinto if he’s out for any length of time. He has 12 goals and 18 points in 27 games this season.

The timing of his injury was difficult because the native of Franklin Square, N.Y., was trying to show Rangers coach Mike Sullivan the kind of role Pinto could play for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February.

Green confirmed that he and Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, are discussing the possibility of bringing up a forward from the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville.

Belleville callup might happen

The Senators are already without centre Lars Eller, who missed Thursday’s game by the Rangers with an undisclosed ailment. Stephen Halliday was recalled and played only six minutes and 35 seconds versus New York.

There is no timetable on Eller, either.

Since the Senators can move Ridly Greig into his natural position at centre, a top candidate for recall is winger Arthur Kaliyev. He has been on fire in Belleville with 14 goals and 23 points in 21 games this season.

Kaliyev, signed as an unrestricted free agent by Staios in the off-season, has made an impression with the Belleville coaching staff. Assistant coach Stefan Legein couldn’t say enough good things about Kaliyev’s offensive touch during an interview with AHL play-by-play voice David Foote on Friday.

“It’s pretty impressive,” Legein said. “There are guys you watch through the game, and you watch them because they score, and (Kaliyev) has worked himself into that category.

“He has a great knack for getting lost on the backside, and when he gets a chance, it’s automatic, it’s going in. He has to continue to find a way to get those looks. They’re not always going to present themselves, so he’s got to get to the inside of the ice. He’s done a good job of that.”

There is no question, the club’s depth is being put to the test.

The Senators have only had three games this season that they’ve played with a full complement of the club’s forward ranks. That was against the Blues last Friday, the Dallas Stars on Sunday and the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

Depth is being tested

How much has the club’s depth been put to the test?

“It has. It’s something we’re getting used to, quite honestly,” said Green. “It’s that kind of season where you’re playing a lot of games. It’s not every team that is going through it, but there are other teams going through injuries.

“It’s part of our season, we just have to deal with it and move on.”

That’s where the ‘Next Man Up’ mentality has come in handy for Ottawa.

Not all the news was bad on Friday; the club could have defenceman Artem Zub back against the Blues. He wasn’t on the ice, but was seen wandering around the dressing room, and we’ll see after the morning skate on Saturday.

No matter who suits up for the Senators, the club has to be better than it was against the Rangers in the first game at home in 19 days. The Senators had a lapse in the second period that turned out to be costly.

The club did make a push in the third period to pull within a goal at 3-2, but it was too little, too late. The Senators dropped a 4-3 decision to the Blues a week ago and squandered a two-goal third-period lead.

“It’s about getting back on track,” said winger Drake Batherson. “Last time we played them, we didn’t like our game. It’s Saturday, we’re at home, we’re excited, and hopefully we can put together 60 minutes.”

bgarrioch@postmedia.com