The Senators could be without top-nine winger Drake Batherson for their regular-season opener against the Lightning on Oct. 9 and potentially even longer. He’s out “at least” two weeks with a pulled muscle in his upper body, head coach Travis Green told reporters, including Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.
Batherson sustained the injury in yesterday’s practice and left the session early, according to TSN’s Claire Hanna. There’s no video of the incident. At the very least, Batherson’s exhibition schedule comes to an end after one appearance. He suited up in the club’s first preseason game of the year against the Maple Leafs, recording two assists in a 4-3 loss while logging 18:01 of ice time last Sunday.
A short-term absence isn’t the end of the world, but it is a tough kickoff for the ever-consistent Batherson. He set a career-high mark in assists (42) and points (68) last year, his third straight campaign above the 60-point mark. He also hasn’t missed a game since an ankle injury swallowed up a good portion of his 2021-22 season, which was otherwise his most successful offensive campaign with a 0.96 points-per-game rate (44 in 46 GP).
An IR stint could be a possibility if his recovery pace makes the Sens believe he’s set to miss at least the first seven days of the regular season. That would allow them to kick the can down the road on their decision to waive fringe forwards like Arthur Kaliyev, Olle Lycksell, and Zack MacEwen, opening up an extra roster spot for one of them to stay (or even slot in the lineup in Batherson’s place) in the meantime.
Kaliyev, signed to a league-minimum deal in free agency after being non-tendered by the Rangers, could be an intriguing beneficiary. The skilled but inconsistent 24-year-old is two years removed from a 13-15–28 scoring line in 56 appearances for the Kings. He’s bounced between units in camp so far, but has gotten some reps higher up in the lineup and has remained with the obvious NHL-laden training group as camp progresses. However, he was relegated to 13th forward duties at practice today while Michael Amadio got a crack at Batherson’s projected top-nine role alongside Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto, according to Garrioch.