Senators' Drake Batherson talks extension, stands up to Marchand

After a tumultuous off-season in the nation's capital, Ottawa Senators players have returned to market. And Drake Batherson said he doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon. The forward said on Tuesday he wants to get a contract extension completed before training camp, per Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. Batherson's current contract, which carries a $4.975-million cap hit, is set to expire after the season. With a new CBA set to kick in, the deadline for players to sign eight-year extensions — the maximum under the new agreement will be seven — is Sept. 15. The 28-year-old from Fort Wayne, Ind., has spent his entire career in Ottawa since being selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. He had a career-high 33 goals and 71 points last season as the Senators earned their second straight playoff berth before being swept in the first round by the eventual-champion Carolina Hurricanes. In the wake of that defeat, captain Brady Tkachuk saw an off-season trade request fulfilled with his move to join brother Matthew on the Florida Panthers. The trade left the Senators without a captain, and when it was suggested on Instagram that the role could be filled by Tim Stutzle, noted Panthers agitator Brad Marchand commented on social media: 'Hahahah ….. stutzle…. hahaha.' The comment left a sour taste in Stutzle's mouth, who said Tuesday, 'I don't care about his opinion.' Batherson, meanwhile, said he reached out to Marchand via text. 'I said, 'Marchy … what are you doing?'' Batherson said, adding that his off-season training partner laughed it off. 'He's been doing that for 20 years.' "I'd be lying if I said I was happy when he decided to leave… We felt like we were on the verge of starting to make playoffs and building something." Thomas Chabot on Brady Tkachuk's departure from Ottawa. pic.twitter.com/v01SdRO7Jv — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 8, 2026