Overview
- Multiple reports this week say the Senators and 28-year-old winger Drake Batherson have opened talks but remain far apart on a new deal.
- Batherson is entering the final year of a contract with a $4.975 million cap hit after a 2025–26 season in which he scored 33 goals and 71 points.
- League executives and recent free-agent signings put Batherson’s likely open-market value at about $10–11 million per year, a figure that would make him the team’s highest-paid player.
- Batherson has publicly said he is open to re-signing in Ottawa, yet the salary gap gives him leverage and leaves the Senators weighing patience against cap constraints.
- Commentators note the standoff makes Batherson a realistic midseason trade target for cap-rich contenders such as Edmonton if negotiations fail or Ottawa decides to sell.