Hershey Bears Newcomer Profile: Brian Pinho

Brian Pinho, seen here at the 2017 Capitals Development Camp, has had quite some time to develop towards joining the Bears this season. Photo via NHL.com.

As far as prospects go, Brian Pinho is an unusual case. The 6’0, 172 pound forward was drafted in the sixth round (174th overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, making this year his sixth round at Capitals Development Camp. The senior forward of the young group stood out in the scrimmage at the end of June, scoring a goal and potting an assist to match fellow prospect Shane Gersich.

Washington signed Pinho to an entry level deal and burned a year of the deal by bringing him to the NHL level at the tail end of this season. He graduated from Providence College earlier in the year, and the move was likely to avoid a situation like Thomas DiPauli, a 2012 draft pick who was not signed and moved on from his draft team (Washington) and eventually signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pinho was given incentive to stay with the organization in signing his entry level deal.

Pinho, now 23 years old, becomes a full time member of the Washington organization and will likely spend it with Hershey in 2018-19. He can play either center or right wing, and scored 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 40 games with Providence College last season. Equally important is his recognition as Hockey East’s Best Defensive Forward of the 2017-18 season, an award that shows off his two-way skill set. He finished with 115 points (39 goals, 76 assists) in 156 career NCAA games.

The question remaining is how his talents will translate to a 76 game AHL slate this fall at a higher level of competition. Allowing Pinho to hone his craft at the collegiate level over four years could be seen as a detriment, but Pinho proved his value by standing out over most of his development camp teammates. Although it seems unlikely he would make the Capitals out of training camp, he could easily become a reliable two-way forward for the Bears who would get an NHL look sooner rather than later.

As the tape shows, Pinho is hard working scorer who isn’t afraid to go to the dirty areas and yet is able to mix in a pretty goal. He will have to continue working hard at the AHL level to put up solid numbers in a longer season, but he seems to have tenacity similar to Liam O’Brien in the way he goes to the net. Pairing him with a scorer like Riley Barber (who recently re-signed with the Capitals) and a player like Axel Jonsson-Fjalby or Jayson Megna would pay dividends for the Bears. Even at their best moments in 2017-18, the Bears really relied on having one or two hot lines, and having a depth of scoring is key to competing in the Atlantic Division.

Unlike fellow prospect Beck Malenstyn, Pinho has yet to be exposed to Hershey in any way yet, so the transition into next season will likely take some time. The sky is the limit for Pinho, however, so look for him to take leaps and bounds next season under new Hershey coach Spencer Carbery, who is known for working well with young prospects.

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