The Ottawa Senators are facing an important deadline when it comes to Drake Batherson. With the new CBA set to reduce the maximum contract length from eight years to seven, Ottawa has until September 15 to get a deal done if Batherson is going to receive the eight-year contract he is reportedly looking for.
According to Elliotte Friedman on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts the Podcast, Batherson and his camp would be open to an eight-year deal. That puts some extra pressure on general manager Steve Staios to get something done before the deadline, because once September 15 passes, that option is gone.
Batherson wants to stay in Ottawa
For the Senators, this is a player they should want to keep around for a long time anyway. Batherson has been with the organization since being drafted in 2017 and has grown into an important part of the forward group. He has shown that he can score, create plays and play in different situations, and at 28 years old, he still has plenty of good hockey ahead of him.
The Senators also have to look at what their forward group looks like now. With Brady Tkachuk no longer in Ottawa, there is even more reason to keep some familiarity around the team. Batherson has been through a lot with the organization and has been part of the team's transition from a rebuilding club to one that expects to compete for the playoffs.
That's why letting the opportunity for an eight-year contract disappear would be a mistake. Ottawa could still sign Batherson to seven years after September 15, but if both sides are wanting an eight-year deal, there is little reason to wait and lose that extra year. And, as Friedman often says, deadlines spur action, and with the CBA deadline coming we could see the Batherson deal coming soon.
There is always some risk with giving a player a long-term contract, especially when it takes him into his mid-30s. But the Senators aren't in a position where they should be looking for ways to move on from every veteran contract. They need to keep good players around and continue building a team that can compete in the Atlantic Division.
Batherson doesn't have to be the best player on the Senators for an eight-year contract to make sense. He just needs to continue being a reliable top-six forward that he has shown over his eight year career. He’s been a player who can contribute offensively and give the team some consistency on the top line alongside their other top stars.
Now the pressure is on, with both sides wanting the eight-year deal and just over 24 hours until the deadline. The Senators and Batherson's representative need to find a way to get this deal done. Again, if they don't, it won't have an impact on the overall season or roster. However, after the offseason that saw their captain want out, they need a win, and signing Batherson to eight years is just that, a win.
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