Teams eyeing Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson as trade talk heats up

Calgary Herald

2 days ago

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The calendar has turned to June, and the trade discussions around the National Hockey League have started to heat up.
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The Ottawa Senators made the playoffs for the first time in eight years this spring, but that doesn't mean Steve Staios, the club's president of hockey operations and general manager, will sit still in the off-season.
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League executives told Postmedia the Senators have been scouring the market for scoring help after the club averaged 2.67 goals per game last season and finished ranked No. 18 in scoring in 82 games.
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The talk in league circles is that the Senators would like to acquire a proven top-six forward who can score either through a trade or on the unrestricted free agent market.
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'Those aren't easy to find,' a league executive said last week. 'The teams that have those players want to keep them, and the ones available in free agency will come at a high price.'
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We're also told the club is looking for a right-shot defenceman because veteran Nick Jensen is believed to have had hip surgery last month, which will require a lengthy recovery. There is no timeline for his return, but by all accounts, he won't be ready to start the regular season.
Three league executives say a name to keep an eye on with the National Hockey League draft set for June 28-29 is winger Drake Batherson. There was talk at the trade deadline in March that the Senators were listening on Batherson, and his name has surfaced on the market again.
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Batherson, 27, has two years left on a deal that pays him $4.975 million US per season. He finished with 26 goals and 68 points in 82 games with the Senators last season, but we're led to believe some within the organization are frustrated with his lack of consistency.
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But it would be fair to say that the Senators will proceed with caution where Batherson is concerned because his contributions shouldn't be ignored, and someone with more production may come at a high price, so this file is a slippery slope for Staios.
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Batherson posted only one goal and one assist in the club's first-round series loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in the spring. But it was Batherson's third straight season with more than 20 goals, which is why he's an attractive option for teams that are seeking help.
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Batherson initially had good chemistry with centre Dylan Cozens, who was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres at the deadline for centre Josh Norris, but that line didn't perform with any consistency during the playoffs, and that was a cause for concern.