The Senators have reached an interesting crossroads with Drake Batherson.
For the past three weeks, the 28-year-old winger has been eligible to sign a contract extension with the Sens, and it would seem to make sense for the club to get something done sooner rather than later.
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But every month that passes could make Batherson a little more expensive, partly because the guy has built a career on getting better every season.
Since arriving in Ottawa, his point totals have climbed modestly in every single season. Last season, he established new career highs with 33 goals and 71 points, and there’s every reason to believe he could jack things up again in 2026-27.
If he puts together another career year, he’ll head into unrestricted free agency next summer with even more leverage than he has now.
But Batherson’s value isn’t trending upward just because of his play.
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The NHL’s financial landscape has changed, big time. The cap is jumping up by $8.5 million this summer to $104 million and is projected to climb again to around $113 million in 2027-28.
As the cap rises, so does the salary bar, particularly for elite offensive talent. Just think about the summer of 2028 when Connor McDavid is a UFA. That will completely reset everything.
But let’s focus on the summer of 2026 for now.
Over the weekend, Connor Bedard signed a five-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks worth an average annual value of $15 million.
Earlier this month, Leo Carlsson landed a five-year deal with Anaheim for $18 million per year. That came after the Ducks matched the offer sheet Carlsson signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. It remains to be seen if the uniqueness of Carlsson’s signing will affect salaries or be seen as nothing more than an outlier.
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Because of their age and potential, Batherson can’t be directly compared to either player.
Bedard finished last season with 75 points while Carlsson recorded 67, numbers that are right in the same neighbourhood as Batherson’s 33 goals and 71 points. But both players are several years younger than Batherson and they were paid as much for what they’re expected to become as for what they are today.
At 28, Batherson probably isn’t about to take the kind of massive leap that teams are projecting from Bedard or Carlsson, but every mega contract resets expectations.
Even if Batherson isn’t asking for $15 mill, those contracts raise the ceiling for every good offensive player who’s got his hand out, waiting on a new deal.
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And that’s where Ottawa’s timing is key. They might have saved a few bucks if they’d signed Batherson before these other deals were signed. But that ship has sailed, and it isn’t coming back.
Batherson is finishing the bargain contract he signed five years ago, one that carries a cap hit of less than $5 million annually. It quickly became one of the better-value contracts in the entire NHL, but those days are coming to an end.
If Bedard is getting $15 million and Carlsson checks in at $18 million, is it unreasonable for Batherson’s camp to want $10 million? Maybe more?
His importance to the Sens has also grown.
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With Brady Tkachuk now in Florida and several veteran voices no longer around the organization, Batherson suddenly finds himself among the team’s longest-serving core players, second only to Thomas Chabot.
He also showed during the playoffs that he can produce when the games matter most.
The Senators struggled to score in their first-round sweep at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, but Batherson scored three times and added an assist, finishing in on four of Ottawa’s five goals in the series.
Perhaps most encouraging for the Senators is that, unlike certain people, Batherson has made it clear he isn’t looking for a way out. When I spoke with him in May, following the season, he didn’t hesitate when I asked him if he was open to remaining in Ottawa long-term.
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“Oh, yeah,” Batherson said. “I mean, it’s a great spot for me. It’s close to home. I’ve been here for almost a decade now and made so many friends outside of hockey in Ottawa. So, yeah, it feels like home.
“I’ve lived here pretty much the same amount of time I’ve lived in my hometown.”
Batherson also said there had been no contract discussions at that point.
“This is all new to me. Obviously, it’s my first time coming up on being a free agent since I was 23. That was my last one, which has flown by. I can’t believe it’s been five years. So yeah, we’ll see what happens.”
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Those comments gave Senators fans reason for optimism, but as elite offensive players keep signing mega-deals (and it’s only just begun), Batherson’s agent might have a different view of the marketplace than he did even a couple of months ago.
At first glance, $10 million seems maybe a bit steep for Batherson. For us old-schoolers who watched Guy Lafleur earn roughly $3.5 million over his entire 17-year NHL career, it’s almost impossible to wrap your head around a number like that for one season.
But that’s the new NHL.
The only question now is whether the Senators can get Batherson signed before the market and his play push his price tag even higher.
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By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the Sens headlines below:
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