Senators Sign Batherson To Eight-Year, $86-Million Extension

The Ottawa Senators have locked up one of their longest-tenured forwards to an eight-year extension.The Ottawa Senators have agreed to an eight-year, $86-million extension with Drake Batherson ($10.75 million AAV) that will keep him under contract until the conclusion of the 2034-35 season.This contract makes Batherson the highest-paid player in franchise history. His new salary will kick in at the start of the 2027-28 season when his current deal expires.Tuesday is the final day for eight-year extensions to be signed before the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement comes into play. As of Sep. 16, the maximum term for players under contract becomes seven years while changing to six years for free agents."Drake exemplifies what it is to be an Ottawa Senator," said Senators general manager Steve Staios. "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 of the Senators in the 2017 NHL Draft and made his debut in the 2018-19 season. The 28-year-old has since played 470 games, all with the Senators, and ranks third on the franchise in goals (149) and points (364) in that span. He also is 10th on the Senators' all-time scoring list.Batherson has been on a steady offensive trajectory, and had a career-best 31-goal, 71-point campaign in 2025-26, the final year of his previous contract.Before entering the NHL, Batherson spent four seasons in the QMJHL between the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.