On the final day when an 8-year extension was allowed under the current collective bargaining agreement, Drake Batherson put pen to paper.
This was a deal that was being finalized over the last few days.
The Ottawa Senators locked him into an 8-year contract extension worth $86 million, which is the largest deal in team history.
“Drake exemplifies what it is to be an Ottawa Senator,” Staios said in a team release.
“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.”
Batherson was a fourth-round pick in 2017 and rose to be one of the team’s best forwards over the last four years. The Fort Wayne, Indiana native has been one of the most consistent parts of the organization since becoming a full-time player in the NHL.
He tied a unique NHL record last season. Batherson became only the second player in NHL history to increase his individual point total in seven consecutive seasons. In the most productive season of his career, Batherson scored 33 goals and 38 assists for a total of 71 points in 79 games last season.
Batherson earned his pay raise in Ottawa
One important detail in Batherson’s new contract is that he will be paid $30 million in bonuses. It’s the first time the Senators have done anything like this for a player.
Ottawa signed Bobby Ryan to a 7-year deal in 2015, where he was paid $2 million in bonuses annually. Batherson’s deal is significantly more than that, as the team wanted to lock in one of its top players long-term.
Batherson is a homegrown talent in the NHL. Since joining the team in 2018, he has the third-most points, behind only Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk.
The American also has 58 power play goals over the same span and 150 points on the man advantage overall. Ottawa has relied heavily on his production, and now they’ll continue to have him around the organization.
His performance year after year allowed him to surpass Stutzle’s 8-year, $66.8 million extension signed in September 2022.
Among players who were selected in the fourth round in 2017, Batherson is the longest-tenured player to have over 364 points and earn this large of a pay raise with one team.
Ottawa signed Batherson before the salary cap rises
As the NHL and its young superstars are signing their next deals, that’s influencing someone like Batherson to command north of $10 million.
Ottawa just traded their captain over the summer as well and wanted to make sure a key member of the team was retained. Especially one who was willing to sign for that long of a term.
The NHL is expecting the salary cap to rise to as much as $113.5 million for the 2027-28 season. So, should the Senators have waited and Batherson continued to put up career-high numbers, then the price could have been higher.
Ottawa and Batherson got this bit of business done before there was any chance it would get hairy. Now the player and team can look to take a step forward this season.
Follow Nick Kieser on Twitter/X: @KieserNick
Senators Sign Batherson to Largest Deal in Team History