yahoo
The Ottawa Senators, who were ousted in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the eventual champions, the Carolina Hurricanes, appear to be struggling to find common ground with forward Drake Batherson on a contract extension. According to a recent report from Senators insider Bruce Garrioch, negotiations between Batherson and general manager Steve Staios have not progressed favorably.
Batherson is entering the final season of a six-year contract that carries a $4.95 million annual cap hit. League executives believe that if he were to hit the open market, he could command a salary in the range of $10 million to $11 million per season, as reported by Garrioch in The Ottawa Citizen. While Staios has initiated talks on an extension, sources indicate that the two parties remain far apart in their valuation.
Key Analysis
Batherson has been a consistent contributor for the Senators since being selected 121st overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. After making his debut in the 2018-19 season, he split time between Ottawa and the AHL's Belleville Senators, where he impressed with 22 goals and 40 assists in 59 games. Since establishing himself as a full-time NHL player, Batherson has amassed 149 goals and 215 assists for 364 points in 479 regular-season games, along with 197 penalty minutes. In 10 playoff appearances, he has added four goals and two assists with 14 penalty minutes.
The gap in negotiations suggests that the Senators may need to decide whether to meet Batherson's asking price or consider other options, including a potential trade, as the team looks to build on its recent playoff appearance.
Originally reported by yahoo.