OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators are closing in on an eight-year contract extension with 33-goal scorer Drake Batherson ahead of Tuesday night's CBA deadline, multiple sources indicate. Exact terms are unclear, but the deal is believed to average between $10.5 million and $11 million per season, which would make it the largest contract in franchise history.
The timing is tied directly to sweeping contract rule changes that arrive once the calendar flips to Sept. 16 at midnight Eastern Time. Under the new CBA, maximum term drops from eight years to seven for a team's own free agents and from seven years to six for a player who signs elsewhere. The structure also tightens, with the largest permissible gap in earnings between two consecutive years dropping from 25 per cent to 20 per cent, and the lowest season of any contract required to pay no less than 71 per cent of the highest, up from the previous 60 per cent margin.
The Batherson talks headline a frantic window before the deadline. Two of the biggest unresolved cases for 2026-27 are Columbus forward Adam Fantilli and Anaheim forward Cutter Gauthier. There was some optimism in Gauthier's case and less so for Fantilli, but deadlines spur action and one phone call can change everything.
Don't be surprised if teams and players who are unsigned for 2027-28 also try to take advantage before Tuesday night, knowing they won't be able to secure the same eight-year structure or salary variance next summer. For Ottawa, locking in Batherson now would be a major commitment and a relief to the fanbase.