The Ottawa Senators have reached an eight-year, $86 million contract with Drake Batherson, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports.
The deal will carry an average annual value of $10.75 million for Batherson. It is the largest contract in Senators franchise history and locks up the forward through the 2034-35 season.
The two sides had until Tuesday night to reach an eight-year deal before a change in NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement takes effect, dropping the max term when extending with a team to seven years as of Wednesday.
“Drake exemplifies what it is to be an Ottawa Senator,” general manager Steve Staios said in a team release. “He was drafted and developed by our organization and has shown a commitment to wanting to be in Ottawa long term. We view him as a key part of our core group.”
The 28-year-old winger 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.
Batherson told reporters last week he wants to stay with the team long-term and was hoping to sign a new contract before the season starts.
“It would be nice to get it done before the season and not have that distraction before the games start,” Batherson said at the team’s annual golf tournament. “(General manager Steve Staios) knows I want to be here. They’ll keep moving forward and hopefully something gets done.”
Batherson will carry a cap hit of $4.95 million this season in the last year of a six-year deal signed in 2021.
The Senators now have Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto, Dylan Cozens, Jake Sanderson, Jordan Spence and Batherson signed through at least the 2029-30 season. Stutzle’s contract, at a cap hit of $8.35 million to lead the team this season, is signed through 2030-31, while Sanderson’s deal ($8.05M AAV) runs through the following year.
Locking up Batherson helps the Senators keep a core piece in place after honouring a trade request from captain Brady Tkachuk in June, sending him to the Florida Panthers.
Drafted 121st overall by the Senators in 2017, Batherson has 149 goals and 364 points in 470 career games.
