The Ottawa Senators locked up forward Drake Batherson on Tuesday to a franchise-record, eight-year contract extension worth $86 million. Completed ahead of the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement deadline, the deal secures the 28-year-old through the 2034-35 season and carries an average annual value of $10.75 million.
The Ottawa Senators made franchise history on Tuesday by securing one of their cornerstone forwards for the long haul. General manager and president of hockey operations Steve Staios finalized an eight-year, $86-million extension with Drake Batherson, tying the player to the organization through the 2034-35 NHL season (as reported by sports.ndtv.com). The agreement establishes a new benchmark as the largest contract ever handed out in Senators history, surpassing previous franchise thresholds and arriving just before a league-wide rule change.
Beating the Collective Bargaining Agreement Deadline
Tuesday served as the final window for NHL teams to issue eight-year extensions under the existing collective bargaining agreement framework (according to sports.yahoo.com). Effective Wednesday, September 16, incoming rules lower the maximum allowable contract term to seven years for players re-signing with their current clubs, and six years for unrestricted free agents coming from other organizations (as detailed by lapresse.ca).
Had Ottawa waited until Batherson reached unrestricted free agency next summer, the club would have faced a severely restricted negotiating window and aggressive outside competition. Instead, the front office moved decisively to avoid that exposure (prohockeyrumors.com noted). The pact also represents a notable structural shift for Ottawa’s payroll management. According to reporting from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the agreement includes $30 million in signing bonuses over its lifetime, alongside a full no-move clause for the first four years that transitions into a no-trade clause for the remainder of the deal (prohockeyrumors.com added).
Building Around a Homegrown Core
Batherson, selected 121st overall by Ottawa in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Draft (sports.ndtv.com recorded), has spent his entire professional career in the nation’s capital (thescore.com observed). Over 470 regular-season appearances, he has accumulated 149 goals and 364 points, placing him 10th on the franchise’s all-time scoring list (sports.yahoo.com stated).
The extension follows a career-best 2025-26 campaign in which the 28-year-old winger notched 33 goals and 71 points across 79 games (sports.ndtv.com noted). That offensive output marked his seventh consecutive season increasing his point totals (Sportsnet reported).
“Drake exemplifies what it is to be an Ottawa Senator. 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.”
Steve Staios, Senators general manager and president of hockey operations
Player Reaction and Financial Context
Speaking with reporters following the announcement, Batherson admitted the monetary scale surpassed his initial career expectations (CBC reported).
“I don’t think I’d ever thought I’d make this kind of money, but obviously where the league’s going, and how high the salary cap’s going. You saw some guys this summer, but it’s gonna keep growing, and I think that’s awesome for all the players.”
Drake Batherson, Ottawa Senators forward
The forward’s $10.75 million average annual value (sports.ndtv.com confirmed) positions him alongside recent high-end market comparables for young wingers, such as Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe’s $10.625MM AAV and Alex Tuch’s $10.5 million AAV deal with the Washington Capitals (prohockeyrumors.com outlined). Batherson noted that market movement alongside emerging stars like Kirill Kaprizov influenced his expectations during the summer (Sportsnet noted).
Roster Outlook and What Lies Ahead
Batherson’s new agreement will officially commence in the 2027-28 season, immediately following the expiration of his current six-year pact (sports.ndtv.com noted). With former captain Brady Tkachuk having been traded to the Florida Panthers this offseason (CBC reported), Batherson steps into an elevated leadership role alongside incoming pieces like William Eklund as Ottawa prepares for the upcoming schedule (Sportsnet reported).
The Senators open their regular season schedule against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 3, before hosting the Philadelphia Flyers in their home opener five days later on October 8 (CBC noted).
