Report: ‘Gap remains wide’ between Senators, Batherson in extension talks
While Drake Batherson has been an important player for the Ottawa Senators in recent years, his long-term future with the club remains uncertain.
According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, Batherson’s camp and the Senators aren’t on the same page regarding a contract extension for the 28-year-old.
Batherson is heading into the final season of his six-year contract that he signed with the Senators in September 2021, when Pierre Dorion was still the general manager of the club. It was Batherson’s second NHL contract, carrying an AAV of $4.975 million.
However, Batherson has certainly played well above his current cap hit, reaching the 60-point mark in each of the past four seasons, including a career-best performance this past year. In 79 games during the 2025-26 regular season, the Fort Wayne, Ind. native posted 33 goals and 38 assists for 71 points, leading Ottawa in scoring. In fact, he was the only player to reach 60 points last season, better than Dylan Cozens, Jake Sanderson and captain Brady Tkachuk. His play was crucial to the Sens bouncing back after a sluggish start to the season to finish fifth in the Atlantic Division, claiming the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Batherson ended up scoring three goals and four points in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, though Ottawa was ultimately swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
The value of Batherson’s next deal has been a hot topic of debate amongst fans and pundits in the market. With the salary cap rising to $104 million next season, and potentially up to $113.5 million in 2027-28, some wonder if Batherson will touch double digits with his next contract. It’s not yet clear if the Sens are willing to wait out the year before finalizing a deal with the young winger, but, according to Garrioch, Batherson’s intentions are to stay with Ottawa for the foreseeable future.
In 470 regular-season games in the NHL, Batherson has posted 149 goals and 215 assists for 364 points, with another six points in 10 postseason affairs. He was taken by Ottawa in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Draft.