Drake Batherson is still the name that matters most for the Senators, and the latest word from Elliotte Friedman suggests Ottawa isn’t staring at a dead end.
Friedman said on a surprise edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast that the Senators have a “path” to extend Batherson, a detail that should at least give fans in the Nation’s Capital reason to pay attention. He stopped short of going any further, but the message was clear enough: this is not a hopeless situation for the 28-year-old.
The challenge, as usual, comes down to money. Ottawa wants to stay cost-conscious, not because it’s unwilling to spend, but because the front office has to keep the salary cap in mind.
Batherson’s side, meanwhile, is not expected to hand over any kind of hometown discount. The talk around the league has pointed toward a contract in the neighborhood of Alex Tuch and Adria Kempe, which puts the discussion in the $10 million to $11 million range.
That kind of gap matters in a hard-cap league. A million dollars can be the difference between keeping a veteran depth player and having to move on.
There is, however, another route. A short-term deal could be the cleanest solution for now, buying both sides time until the cap rises further.
The idea would be to bridge Batherson and the Senators to around 2028 or 2029, when the cap ceiling is expected to be at least $123 million. At that point, Ottawa would have a lot more room to work with on a bigger long-term contract.
Of course, that kind of arrangement comes with real risk for both sides. Batherson could see his production dip and lose millions. Or he could break out even further and become a 100-point player, which would push him even farther out of Ottawa’s price range.
That’s the gamble. Still, the likeliest outcome remains Batherson staying put. The difference now is that making it happen may take more creativity than it first seemed.
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A Professional Tryout Offer would give the Senators a close look at Kylington without locking themselves into anything long term, which fits a team trying to sharpen its defensive depth without complicating the picture. For Ottawa, the appeal is straightforward: see what he still has, get a better read on how he fits, and leave the door open to move on if the fit is not there. [Read more 🡒]
Stutzles First Reaction Says A Lot About Ottawas Next Era
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For Ottawa, that is the bigger takeaway right now. Stutzle framed the situation as one where the organization has to keep developing, keep competing and keep moving forward rather than dwelling on what it lost, which says plenty about the mood around a roster trying to define its next phase. The trade changes the picture, but the message from one of the teams most important players is that the ambition has not changed. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Have A Bigger Extension Priority Than Drake Batherson
Drake Bathersons career-best season in 2025-26 has made his contract status an obvious talking point in Ottawa, but he is only part of a longer list of pending decisions the Senators have to sort out as they head toward 2026-27. Batherson is in the final year of his six-year deal, and the same is true for Artem Zub, a steady defenseman who turned in another strong season and remains an important piece of the roster.
Zubs value to the Senators makes this more than a routine housekeeping item, because Ottawa is not just deciding whether to keep a productive winger in the fold, but also how to protect the back end from another summer of uncertainty. The forward situation will get attention, especially with Batherson coming off a peak year, yet the bigger organizational question may be whether the Senators can lock in Zub on a longer-term basis and avoid having another key player drift toward free agency. [Read more 🡒]