Drake Batherson has played 470 games with the Ottawa Senators since entering the league, making him one of the longest-tenured members of the franchise. After his entry-level contract expired, he signed a six-year deal with the club, extending his tenure through the 2026-27 season. Now, Batherson is eligible for a contract extension.

While Batherson could sign a new deal, it does not seem like one is imminent, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

“All eyes in Ottawa are on Drake Batherson, who is entering the last year on his deal with the Senators at a $4.975 million cap hit. He would become an unrestricted free agent on July 1,” LeBrun wrote. “The 33-goal forward is interested in signing an eight-year deal but would also do six or seven years depending on the AAV. So Tuesday night’s expiry of the old CBA has some bearing. Another thing to consider is that Batherson doesn’t want to negotiate during the season — not uncommon among pending UFAs, who often see it as a distraction once the puck drops.”

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The expiration of the old CBA is of some interest. The new collective bargaining agreement begins on September 16. Until then, a player re-signing with their current club can sign an eight-year extension. Starting on September 16, they can only sign a seven-year deal. Meanwhile, the Senators report for training camp on the 16th as well, meaning that if Batherson does not want to negotiate during the season, the clock is ticking.

“Having said that, Igor Shesterkin also told the New York Rangers he wasn’t interested in negotiating during the season two years ago and ended up signing in December. Either way, these things can change with one phone call. But as of Monday morning, things were still far apart on a Batherson extension,” LeBrun concluded.

Batherson has been a mainstay in the Senators lineup for the last four seasons. In that time, he has missed just three games, while racking up 109 goals and 158 assists. He did much of that while playing alongside Brady Tkachuk, who will return to face his former team on October 21.