Senators sign Drake Batherson to max term contract extension

The Ottawa Senators had a ticking clock hanging over their heads on Tuesday, and they made sure not to let the buzzer sound without getting their business done. With a major CBA change set to take effect on Wednesday that would reduce the maximum contract length teams can offer, Ottawa moved quickly to lock down one of the most important pieces of their future core.

Just hours before the deadline, the Senators and Drake Batherson agreed to an eight-year contract extension worth $86 million, carrying an average annual value of $10.75 million. It is the largest contract in franchise history, and it keeps the 28-year-old winger in Ottawa through the 2034-35 season.

A Record-Setting Deal With Perfect Timing

The timing here cannot be overstated. Starting Wednesday, the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement drops the maximum extension term to seven years for players re-signing with their current team and six years for unrestricted free agents switching clubs. By getting this done on Tuesday, Batherson and the Senators squeezed out that extra year of commitment.

According to reports, the deal includes $30 million in bonuses, which marks the first time the Senators organization has structured a contract that way. Batherson also secured a no-movement clause covering the first four years of the extension, which kicks in during the 2027-28 season after his current six-year, $29.85 million deal expires.

General manager Steve Staios made it clear how the organization views Batherson, calling him a player who "exemplifies what it is to be an Ottawa Senator" and noting that he was drafted and developed within the system. Staios emphasized that the team considers Batherson a key part of their core group going forward.

Batherson himself had publicly expressed his desire to remain in Ottawa long term. At the team's annual golf tournament last week, he told reporters he was hoping to get a deal done before the regular season started, saying he did not want it to become a distraction once games began.

Why Batherson Is Worth Every Penny

The numbers back up the investment. Batherson put together the best season of his career in 2025-26, potting 33 goals and adding 38 assists for 71 points in 79 games. Those were both career highs, and they continued an absolutely remarkable trend. Batherson became just the second player in NHL history to increase his individual point total in seven consecutive seasons. That kind of consistency and upward trajectory is exactly what you want to see from a player you are about to hand a franchise-record contract.

He was also the Senators' top scorer during the playoffs, putting up three goals and one assist in four postseason games before Ottawa was bounced in the first round. With 149 goals and 364 points in 470 career regular-season games, Batherson ranks 10th on the Senators' all-time scoring list and is closing in on becoming just the 14th player to suit up for 500 regular-season games in an Ottawa uniform.

This extension also takes on added significance in the wake of the Brady Tkachuk era ending in Ottawa. The former captain was traded to the Florida Panthers in June after requesting a move, leaving a leadership void that Batherson and others will be expected to fill. He is now the second-longest tenured player on the roster.

With Batherson locked up, the Senators now have a solid long-term core in place. Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto, Dylan Cozens, Jake Sanderson, and Jordan Spence are all signed through at least the 2029-30 season. Stutzle leads the group with a cap hit of $8.35 million, while Sanderson sits at $8.05 million. Batherson will carry his current $4.95 million cap hit this season before the new deal begins next year.

Ottawa is clearly building something here, and locking in Batherson at the max term before the CBA window closed was a smart, decisive move. The Senators are coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, and they are betting big that Batherson will be a cornerstone of their push toward deeper postseason runs for the better part of the next decade.