There’s still a gap to bridge between the Senators and Drake Batherson, but both sides remain interested in getting an extension done.
The sticking point is money, and that’s where things have yet to line up. September 15 is seen as the natural cutoff because it’s the last day an eight-year contract can be signed, but Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch points to another date that could matter just as much. If Batherson doesn’t have a new deal by the time Ottawa opens its season on October 3, the expectation is that he’ll head toward the open market next summer.
Batherson is coming off the best offensive season of his career. In 79 games, he put up 33 goals and 38 assists. His camp is believed to be aiming for a double-digit AAV on the next contract, and Ottawa doesn’t appear ready to go there yet.
In Montreal’s system, goaltender Yevgeni Volokhin has already locked in his next step. A team release said the Canadiens prospect has signed a new three-year deal with KHL Spartak, keeping him there through 2028-29 after the two sides tore up his previous contract, which still had two seasons left.
Montreal picked Volokhin in the fifth round in 2023, and he was the VHL’s top goalie last season. He posted a 1.51 GAA, a .948 SV% and nine shutouts in 40 games.
Even with those numbers, he only appeared in four games for Spartak. Because there is no transfer agreement between the NHL and the Russian hockey federation, the Canadiens have no deadline to sign him.
As for Lightning prospect Noah Steen, his North American pro career is just getting started, but he hasn’t forgotten his old club. In a video posted on SHL Orebro’s site, the 22-year-old left the door open to a return there someday.
This season is the first year of a two-year deal for Steen, and he is expected to spend it exclusively with Syracuse. From there, he could work his way into recall territory as the year progresses. Last season, he totaled 22 points in 52 SHL games and added seven goals for Norway in 10 World Championship appearances.
In Other News...
Lightning Face One Crucial Nikita Kucherov Decision This Offseason
Even with the summer business still unfolding around the Lightning, one of the biggest questions sitting in front of the front office is tied to Nikita Kucherov. The winger has long been the heartbeat of Tampa Bays attack, and after another dominant season, the conversation around his future is no longer abstract. It is the kind of decision that can shape the rest of the roster, especially for a club still trying to stay in the hunt while managing its core.
Kucherovs latest year only reinforced how essential he remains, with the sort of production and impact that make him one of the leagues most valuable players. Tampa Bay knows what it has in him, and the challenge now is figuring out how best to keep that relationship intact before the pressure of an unresolved contract situation becomes part of the season itself. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Prospect Lucas Mercuri Is Giving Tampa Bay A New Depth Question
Lucas Mercuris development has become one of those quiet but interesting depth-storylines that can matter later for Tampa Bay. The 24-year-old forward, acquired by the Lightning in 2025, is expected to be with the Syracuse Crunch in the 2026-27 season, and he has already started to look like a player worth tracking more closely. With NHL size and a style that fits what Tampa Bay tends to value, Mercuri has given the organization a prospect who does not feel like a long shot.
He took a solid step forward in the AHL last season, producing 14 goals and 12 assists in 67 games while also leading his team in penalty minutes. That mix of offense, edge and physicality helps explain why he stands out in the Lightning system, but it also leaves the same question hovering over his path: whether the rest of his game can catch up enough to make that profile work at the next level. [Read more 🡒]