The Ottawa Senators are on the clock with Drake Batherson, and the date that matters most is September 15.
Batherson is reportedly pushing for an eight-year extension, but that window only stays open until the new collective bargaining agreement deadline. After that, the longest deal he can sign with Ottawa drops to seven years.
For the Senators, this is a real crossroads. Batherson is entering the final season of his six-year, $29 million contract, and he just put together the best year of his career. The 28-year-old finished with 33 goals and 71 points in 79 games, the kind of production that changes the conversation fast once negotiations start.
There’s also a bigger picture problem for Ottawa. The club can’t afford to let another important homegrown forward get away after Brady Tkachuk’s departure this summer. At the same time, the signs point to both sides wanting a deal, even if the price tag is still the sticking point.
That price could get steep. Adrian Kempe and Alex Tuch have already landed long-term contracts worth more than $10 million per season, and Batherson may be aiming for that same neighborhood. If he plays out next season and reaches free agency with another strong campaign, he’d be in position to ask for a major payday.
An eight-year contract north of $10 million annually would make Batherson the highest-paid player in Senators history. It would also run through his age-35 season, which is where the risk starts to creep in for Ottawa. Any protection clauses would likely get trimmed or disappear by the six-to-eight range.
From the Senators’ side, the timing matters just as much as the money. Batherson is in his prime, and after a 71-point season, there’s no obvious reason to expect the asking price to come down.
In fact, if he turns in another year like that, Ottawa could be staring at the same negotiation next summer without the benefit of offering eight years. The difference could be $1-2 million per season.
That’s why the pressure is on Steve Staios and the front office to get something done now. Around the league, these talks can drag on until the player reaches the open market or, in some cases like Mitch Marner and the Toronto Maple Leafs, ends in a sign-and-trade.
Ottawa just lost its captain. This is not the moment to let another core player slip away.
Staios needs to sit down with Batherson’s camp and work out a deal before September 15.
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