The Montreal Canadiens may be watching Ottawa’s contract talks with real interest, because Drake Batherson could quickly become a name to know if the Senators can’t get him signed.
Batherson is coming off his biggest offensive season yet, finishing with 71 points last year after increasing his point total in every season of his career. He’s established himself as a productive top-six winger who brings both offense and physical play, and that kind of profile is going to come at a steep price.
He’s currently on a deal worth under $5 million per season, but his camp is reportedly pushing for something in the neighborhood of Adrian Kempe’s eight-year, $10.625 million salary. According to Marco D’Amico, if Ottawa can’t lock Batherson down, Montreal will be among the teams ready to pursue him.
That interest fits with how aggressive the Canadiens have already been in the rumor mill, with the club previously tied to Kirill Marchenko and Matthew Knies. Batherson would give them another major swing at adding a high-end winger if he becomes available.
There was also a notable twist in Florida’s goaltending picture. Daria Tuboltseva reported that Sergei Bobrovsky was prepared to leave $8 million in total value on the table in order to stay with the Panthers.
The agreement in principle was a two-year deal at $6 million per season, but the sticking point came down to trade protection. Panthers general manager Bill Zito was not willing to hand out a full no-trade clause, and Bobrovsky wasn’t interested in taking the discount without stronger protection.
Instead, Bobrovsky ended up with the Maple Leafs, where his new contract pays $7 million annually over three years and includes a full no-trade clause. Florida, meanwhile, is moving ahead with Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid in net.
That’s a very different look, and while it may not carry the same comfort level Bobrovsky brought, the Panthers clearly were willing to treat last season as a down year in the middle of a broader injury mess. Bobrovsky, for his part, posted the worst numbers of his career.
The Maple Leafs are betting they can get a better version of him, and they clearly weren’t scared off by last season’s stat line. As a free-agent addition, it’s a bold move aimed at helping push the club back toward winning form.
In Minnesota, the next contract on the docket may not be the one everyone is talking about, but it looks like it’s coming soon. Joe Smith of The Athletic reported that John Hynes is likely to receive an extension before the season begins.
Hynes has posted a .601 points percentage since arriving with the Wild, which is better than what he managed with the New Jersey Devils and the Nashville Predators. Under him, Minnesota has become one of the league’s toughest teams to face, built on strong defense and the ability to score in bunches.
Even with below-average center depth, the Wild have found a way to make it work with Joel Eriksson-Ek, Ryan Hartman, Michael McCarron, and Danila Yurov. Those are useful pieces, but not a true elite center, and Minnesota has still thrived.
The expectation is that Hynes’ new deal will be around three years. The bigger-picture outlook around the Wild remains positive, and the sense is that they are positioned to keep moving forward, with more room to improve as they go.
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Wild May Have Found A Surprise Answer To Its Top-Six Void
The Wild spent part of free agency looking for a little more certainty in the middle of their forward group, and Maxim Shabanov arrived with a path that is hard to ignore. Minnesota brought in the winger on a one-year deal after his first NHL season with the Islanders, where he flashed enough skill to get a longer look and give the front office another option in a part of the lineup that needed help.
Bill Guerins comments only added to the intrigue around Shabanovs fit, because the expectation is that he will be asked to do more right away. With Mat Zuccarello gone, the Wild have a top-six opening to fill, and Shabanov now looks like one of the more interesting bets on their roster to seize it. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Roster Shakeup Just Raised The Pressure On These Minnesota Stars
A busy offseason has left Minnesota with a different look and a clearer sense of urgency after a disappointing postseason. The Wild have been reshaping the roster around the edges, and the changes are meant to do more than simply add depth. They are designed to push the group forward, with the front office clearly betting that a few key players can help drive the next step.
Kirill Kaprizov remains the obvious centerpiece, but the pressure is spreading beyond the usual names as the season approaches. Danila Yurov and Bobby Brink are among the players expected to shoulder bigger roles, and Minnesota needs that internal growth to show up quickly if the roster overhaul is going to matter. The bigger question now is whether the new mix can turn promise into progress once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]