The Senators’ Drake Batherson Contract Dilemma Just Hit Another Snag

The Ottawa Senators have run into a bit of a snag in their contract talks with forward Drake Batherson. The hope is that this snag doesn’t turn into a huge problem.

The Senators are trying to lock Batherson up before he hits unrestricted free agency next summer, and league sources say the two sides are far apart on a new deal.

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Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes:

“Batherson, who is entering the final season of a six-year deal worth $4.95 million U.S. annually, is expected by league executives to command as much as $10 million to $11 million per year on the open market. While Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios has opened discussions on an extension, league sources told the Ottawa Citizen they believe the two sides “aren’t close” to an agreement.”

Already reeling a bit from the loss of Brady Tkachuk, the Senators are doing everything in their power not to lose another key piece, but they can’t afford to pay any price. Garrioch adds, “He wants to stay in Ottawa, and the Senators want to keep him, but getting this new contract to a place where both sides are satisfied is viewed as difficult.”

With the cap set to jump to $113.5 million by 2027-28, recent contracts around the league are posing problems, especially since the Senators are using their own internal contracts as comparables. It would be one thing if salaries had increased by a small margin. They haven’t. Players are signing for huge money and that’s going to be what Batherson’s team uses to guage what they should be asking for. Tim Stutzle will make $8.35 million for the next five seasons, while Jake Sanderson makes $8.05 million through 2031-32. The Senators want to keep Batherson within that range, but Connor Bedard signed for $15 million, Leo Carlsson for $18 million, and Macklin Celebrini for $18.8 million. Even Trevor Zegras got $9.125 million per season.

Yes, those situations are different and not directly comparable. Still, it’s clear that salaries are spiking in the NHL. A 28-year-old Batherson isn’t about to take a huge haircut when the salary trend in the NHL is obvious.

Complicating matters further, Ottawa has reportedly resisted structuring deals with signing bonuses, a sticking point that could push Batherson toward testing the open market.

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