The Ottawa Senators and Drake Batherson are still staring at a wide gap as the Sept. 15 deadline for max extensions gets closer, and the clock is doing them no favors. Batherson is in the final year of a $4.975 million AAV deal, coming off a career-best 71-point season, and both sides are said to want a contract done. The problem is the number.
According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Batherson is believed to be looking for an eight-year contract, just like Washington Capitals winger Alex Tuch and Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe. League executives think the 28-year-old, who put up 33 goals and 71 points, could land somewhere in the $10 million to $11 million range annually on the open market.
Senators GM Steve Staios has said the talks are ongoing, but if nothing gets done by Sept. 15, Batherson would likely head into the season without a new deal.
From there, the situation could get even messier next summer if he reaches unrestricted free agency, where cap-rich teams would be ready to make their pitch. One possible landing spot has already surfaced: Marco D’Amico said on The Starr & D’Amico Show that the Montreal Canadiens could have interest if Ottawa can’t extend him.
Detroit, meanwhile, may have missed on another name it could have used. Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press reported that the Red Wings had a deal in place with Anthony Mantha on the day Yzerman’s removal was announced, but it fell apart while Chris Ilitch deliberated. Mantha eventually signed a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devils at $4.75 million per season after posting 33 goals and 31 assists for 64 points in 81 games last season.
Monarrez also reported that the Red Wings were close to landing Steven Stamkos in 2024, adding another layer to the sense that the organization has let a few opportunities slip by. He wrote that Ilitch’s hesitation on major signings cost the Wings Stamkos.
Elsewhere, Macklin Celebrini’s one-of-one rookie card brought in $1.28 million USD at auction on Sunday night. The card was pulled from a pack that cost about $15, and the sale set the record for the highest public price ever paid for a non-Wayne Gretzky hockey card.
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The bigger debate is what to do with all of that room before it starts to disappear. By the time the 2027 free agent period rolls around, Detroit could be sitting on close to $40 million in space depending on re-signings and trades, with Alex DeBrincat and other coming-off-the-books contracts helping define the picture. Add in the expected rise of the salary cap, and the Wings are in position to be patient or pounce, but the real challenge is deciding which path best accelerates the roster without sacrificing the long-term plan. [Read more 🡒]