- Pierre LeBrun says the Senators and Drake Batherson were still far apart on an extension as of Monday morning
- Ottawa has until Tuesday to give him eight years before the new CBA caps re-signings at seven
- Read below for what Batherson and Steve Staios have already said about the negotiation
Ottawa is down to its last day on Drake Batherson.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported Monday morning that the Senators and their leading goal scorer were still far apart on an extension. The new CBA takes over Wednesday, and once it does, teams can only re-sign their own players for seven years instead of eight.
Tuesday is the last day Ottawa can offer that extra year, a deadline that has been circled for weeks.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reported Monday that both sides are aiming for the full eight:
LeBrun followed that up by saying the term may not be the thing holding this up at all:
The calendar squeezes both sides a second way. Batherson does not want to negotiate once the season starts, and Senators camp opens Wednesday. LeBrun raised Igor Shesterkin as the counterexample, since the Rangers goalie said the same thing two years ago and then signed in December.
Batherson is playing out the last year of the six-year, $29.85 million contract he signed in 2021, which carries a $4.975 million cap hit. He hits unrestricted free agency on July 1.
The raise is coming either way. The 28-year-old put up 33 goals and 71 points in 79 games last season, both career highs, then added three goals in four playoff games before Carolina swept Ottawa out of the first round. AFP Analytics projects a six-year extension at $9.8 million a season.
Neither side has been quiet about wanting this finished. Batherson and general manager Steve Staios both took questions about it at the team’s foundation golf tournament last week.
“Steve knows I want to be here.”
Staios was asked the same question and gave the same answer, with a caveat:
Buffalo got its own deal across the line Monday, locking up Noah Ostlund for eight years with hours to spare. Ottawa has one more day to match that.
