Batherson signs richest contract in Senators history
Ottawa locked up the 28-year-old winger for eight years and $86 million one day before the new CBA reduced maximum contract terms.
Drake Batherson signed an eight-year, $86 million contract extension with the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, the largest total-value deal in franchise history. It begins in 2027-28 and carries a $10.75 million annual cap hit.
The agreement includes a full no-move clause for the first four years, a limited no-trade clause after that and $30 million in bonuses, according to Sportsnet. Batherson is entering the final season of the six-year, $29.85 million contract he signed in 2021, which has a $4.975 million annual cap hit.
The timing preserved an eighth year. The new collective bargaining agreement takes effect Sept. 16 and reduces maximum contract terms to seven years for a player re-signing with his team and six years for an external free agent. Washington also signed Ryan Leonard to an eight-year, $84 million extension Tuesday.
"Obviously they've been working on it pretty much all summer and I'm glad it got done before training camp," Batherson said. "Now I can just relax and play hockey."
Batherson set NHL career highs with 33 goals and 71 points in 79 games last season. He added three goals and one assist in four playoff games as Ottawa was swept by Carolina in the first round.
"Drake exemplifies what it is to be an Ottawa Senator," general manager Steve Staios said in a statement. "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 the core group."
Batherson was selected 121st overall by Ottawa in the 2017 NHL Draft. Asked about former captain Brady Tkachuk's departure for Florida, Batherson said players have the right to choose where they want to continue their careers and that Ottawa is where he wanted to stay.
Senators training camp opens Wednesday.
