Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson is seeking an eight-year deal before next month’s cutoff to sign for that term, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.
Garrioch adds that Batherson and Senators are not believed to be close in contract talks as he remains slated for unrestricted free agency next summer.
As of Sept. 16, the max term for players re-signing while under contract will be seven years, while the maximum for players signing with new teams will be six years.
Batherson is a pending unrestricted free agent, carrying a cap hit of $4.95 million in the last of a six-year deal signed in 2021.
Garrioch writes that Batherson could command $10 million to $11 million on the open market next summer, though the max term at that time would be six years. He points to Adrian Kempe, who inked an eight-year, $85 million contract last fall, as a potential comparable for the Senators winger.
Batherson, 28, recorded 33 goals and 71 points in 79 games with the Senators last season. He added three goals and four points in four playoff games before his team was eliminated in the first round.
Drafted 121st overall by the Senators in 2017, Batherson has 149 goals and 364 points in 470 career games.
Keeping Batherson could be of new-found importance for the Senators after losing a core piece in captain Brady Tkachuk earlier this summer, honouring his trade request and in a deal with the Florida Panthers.
Ottawa currently has forwards Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto and Dylan Cozens, along with defencemen Jake Sanderson and Jordan Spence locked up through at least 2029-30.
