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.
In Other News...
Staios Just Sparked New Questions About A Senators Trade That Nearly Happened
A video making the rounds has put a fresh spotlight on a trade discussion Ottawa never finished with Pittsburgh, one that appears to have centered on draft picks and a roster player. The Senators ultimately used the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft on Jonas Lagerberg-Hoen, but the clip has revived interest in what might have been on the table when Steve Staios was working through options with the Penguins.
The intrigue now is less about what Ottawa selected than about what else may have been in play before the draft card was turned in. There is speculation about which roster player could have been part of the framework, with Erik Karlsson among the names floated, but no deal was ever confirmed and the full shape of those talks remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Drake Batherson Looms Over Senators Offseason As Roster Battle Heats Up
The Senators summer roster shuffle has already started to take shape, and Drake Batherson remains right at the center of it. General manager Steve Staios said extension talks with the winger are continuing in a positive direction, but there is still no finished deal in place as Ottawa works through the broader business of retooling around its core and the aftermath of the Brady Tkachuk trade.
Staios also pointed to the addition of William Eklund as part of the teams ongoing adjustments, while leaving the door open for more moves before the roster settles. On top of that, there are openings for camp battles to matter, with Sammy Blais and Philip Tomasino both getting a real chance to earn NHL jobs if they can seize them. [Read more 🡒]