Oilers Notes: Yamamoto, Goaltending, Chaulk
While young wingers Joel Farabee and Drake Batherson inked six-year deals earlier this week, don’t expect a similar deal to be coming for Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto. Postmedia’s Jim Matheson notes that even with that market shifting towards longer-term deals, a bridge contract is still all but a certainty for the 22-year-old who is coming off a quiet year with 21 points in 52 games after putting up just 26 in 27 contests the year before. Matheson suggests Nashville’s Luke Kunin (two years, $2.3MM AAV) as the type of comparable deal that Yamamoto’s camp could realistically try to work off of while the Oilers may be closer to Jesse Puljujarvi’s deal (two years, $1.175MM AAV) knowing that Yamamoto has limited leverage for this deal.
More from Edmonton:
- The Oilers carried three goalies down the stretch last season after having all sorts of challenges rostering netminders early on in the campaign but Daniel Nugent-Bowman relays (subscription link) that they won’t do the same in 2021-22, at least to start the year. With Mike Smith set as the starter, that puts Mikko Koskinen and Alex Stalock battling for the second position. Koskinen has the more recent NHL experience (Stalock didn’t play at all last year) but if their cap situation is tight coming out of training camp, having Stalock be the backup and burying Koskinen in the minors would give them an extra $340K in cap room.
- Edmonton’s AHL affiliate in Bakersfield has added to their coaching staff as the Oilers announced that Colin Chaulk will join the Condors as an assistant coach. Chaulk last worked in the AHL in 2019-20 as an assistant with AHL Belleville and also has seven seasons of ECHL coaching experience.
Tomas Hertl Uncertain About Future With Sharks
Often the top impending free agents heading into a season are no longer available by the time that season comes to a close. With many of the biggest names in the 2022 UFA class being in their mid-to-late thirties and many others having already begun extension talks with their current teams, next year may be no different. However, the San Jose Sharks’ Tomas Hertl could be one of those rare wire-to-wire top impending free agents. Recent reports indicate that the skilled center is unsure about his relationship with the San Jose Sharks and whether he wants to remain with the team. The two sides are not expected to begin contract talks until later in the coming season and by then it could be too late.
As Alex Didion notes for NBC Sports, Hertl recently stated in an interview at home in the Czech Republic that he wonders if San Jose wants him and if he wants to stay. There is clearly a disconnect between the two sides, despite Hertl’s place as one of the team’s best players. Over the past six seasons, Hertl has scored at a pace of .32 goals per game and .7 points per game. While health hasn’t always been on his side, he makes up for it with immense impact when he is on the ice. In five of those six seasons, Hertl either scored 20+ goals or would have in a full season. In the past three years, he did the same with the 60-point benchmark. While his injury absences are not inconsequential, it is still clear that Hertl is an elite player – and yet the Sharks are seemingly not pushing him to re-sign.
The biggest question may be why Hertl would want to stay anyway. As noted, the 27-year-old could be one of the prime options on the open market. Not only is his scoring ability apparent but he excels at the center position, playing with size and grit and getting the job done at the face-off dot. Analytics also support Hertl’s status as perhaps one of the more underrated stars in the NHL. He has a chance to cash in and find a new team that is more likely to contend and where he can truly shine. Why would he pass that up? The grass is likely greener outside of San Jose, who Didion’s colleague Adam Gretz points out is still likely several years away from getting back to postseason contention. Yet, Gretz also notes that the Sharks’ salary cap situation is not ideal either, meaning Hertl is not likely to make any more by sticking with the rebuilding team versus testing the market for a better fit financial and competitively. As the cherry on top, Gretz writes that Hertl is also believed to be one of the Sharks who is upset about the presence of Evander Kane in the San Jose locker room. While Kane’s hockey future is still very much up in the air, if he does keep playing it will likely be for the Sharks, who made a long-term commitment – a commitment they seem hesitant to make to Hertl.
As of right now, Hertl merely seems uncertain about his future with the Sharks and wants to see how the season plays out. However, all signs point to a departure from San Jose at some point in time and a distinct possibility that Hertl could be one of if not the most sought after name on the 2022 free agent market.
Bruins Notes: Rask, Clifton, Bychkov
The NHL is officially going to the Olympics. So what does that mean for the NHL’s top unsigned free agent? Tuukka Rask has made it clear that he will only play for the Boston Bruins (and his teammates expect just that later this season), but the star goalie has said nothing about the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The Olympic break will take place from February 3-22 and Rask must sign with Boston by the trade deadline, expected to be March 21, in order to be eligible for the postseason. Will he use the Winter Games as a warmup? As noted by The Athletic staff in their Olympics roster projections, if Rask wants a spot on Team Finland, it is his. For one, the team not as deep as they have been in the past, with the goaltenders projected to be Nashville’s Juuse Saros, Carolina’s Antti Raanta, and Chicago’s Kevin Lankinen. More of a factor though is that Rask’s numbers on the international stage are nothing short of stunning, with a .938 save percentage and 1.73 GAA in the 2014 Olympics and a .920 save percentage and 2.02 GAA in the 2016 World Cup. Add in his elite career NHL numbers and even at 34 and returning from injury he would be at worst the No. 2 for Finland. There is obviously some risk to Rask and the Bruins that he could re-injure himself while playing in the Olympics. However, the upside is that it will get him back into game shape without costing Boston. Once Rask is signed, there won’t be much time for him to get back up to speed unless the team opts to carry three goalies for a while. It will be interesting to see how the situation plays out and if the aging veteran is as determined to represent his country once more as he is to return to Boston for another run.
- Better now than in-season, but Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton received the difficult news that he has tested positive for COVID-19, reports The Boston Globe’s Matt Dougherty. To make matters worse, the young blue liner is currently on his honeymoon. The Bruins have not commented on the situation and Clifton himself has not issued any follow-up. It is unclear if Clifton is vaccinated or not or if he is symptomatic at this time. The Bruins have not yet announced the start date for training camp, but with their preseason debut scheduled for September 26, it can’t be too far away. If Clifton has indeed contract the virus, he has a matter of weeks to recover and clear the NHL’s COVID Protocol or he will at least miss the start of camp. That could be critical for a player who is expected to compete for a starting role this fall.
- Prospect defenseman Roman Bychkov has proven that he can produce at the junior level in Russia with 43 points and a +47 rating over the past three seasons in the MHL. However, his KHL club Lokomotiv Yaroslavl has yet to give him a chance in the big leagues. That will change this season. The KHL’s Amur Khabarovsk has announced that they have acquired Bychkov on loan for 2021-22. A perennial bottom dweller in the KHL, there is no reason to believe that Khabarovsk will not give the 20-year-old an opportunity to show what he can do against elite competition. The Bruins will be paying attention as well. Since he was selected in the fifth round in 2019, Bychkov has already outshined his draft slot with his play in Russia and at the World Junior Championship. Boston would like to see him take that next step as they evaluate whether to bring him over to North America.
Rocky Thompson Leaves San Jose Staff Due To COVID Vaccination Status
When the NHL revealed its 2021-22 COVID Protocol yesterday, there were a number of exceptions written in. One such exception was that players with a medical or religious reason for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine would not be subject to the suspensions that other unvaccinated players would be. The protocol for staff was written much stricter, stating that anyone in direct contact with players or other hockey operations personnel had to be fully vaccination. However, it seemed reasonable that these medical and religious exceptions for players would also be considered for staff.
Well, that does not appear to be the case. The San Jose Sharks have announced that assistant coach Rocky Thompson will not return to the bench this season. The reason? A medical condition prevents him from receiving the COVID vaccination and the league has not extended any flexibility for that situation. In Thompson’s own words:
Due to a medical exemption that prevents me from taking the COVID-19 vaccine, under the new League protocols, I am not permitted to fulfill my duties on the Sharks coaching staff at this time. I will have no further comment on this matter.
While its fair for the NHL to do all they can to protect the integrity of the upcoming season as best they can with the threat of COVID still relevant, this may be a step too far. The league has outlined a number of strict conditions for unvaccinated players in terms of travel, testing, and more, yet were not willing to use those same policies to mitigate the risk of an unvaccinated assistant coach who has a legitimate medical cause.
The Sharks included in their release that they will be announcing a replacement for Thompson soon. As for Thompson, after just one season in San Jose he could be looking for work elsewhere, as there is no word as to whether Thompson will re-joining Bob Boughner‘s staff after this season. 2020-21 had only been Thompson’s second season in the NHL, so the young coach still has plenty of contacts in the AHL and Canadian junior ranks that he could turn to this season and beyond.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Brian Boyle, Matt Bartkowski To PTOs
The Pittsburgh Penguins are bringing in some experience to training camp. The team announced today that both Brian Boyle and Matt Bartkowski have signed professional tryouts with the club and will be at camp later this month.
Boyle, 36, didn’t play anywhere in 2020-21 before joining the U.S. contingent at the IIHF World Championship, where he captained the squad to a bronze medal. He actually opened some eyes with his play, which resulted in two goals and three points in ten games despite his advanced age, and suggested that a return to the NHL could be possible for the 2021-22 season. That chance is now apparent in Pittsburgh, where he’ll battle for an NHL contract at training camp.
There’s a lot to like in the 6’6″ forward, who has played 805 regular season games over a long career. Boyle at one point was on a streak of deep playoff runs, getting to the Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back seasons with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Though he’ll never again be the 20-goal scorer he was in 2010-11, he’s an excellent faceoff man that can add size to the fourth line and chip in offensively now and again. Even while playing just 12 minutes a game with the Florida Panthers in 2019-20 he managed six goals and 15 points in 39 games.
Bartkowski on the other hand has only played 256 NHL games to this point, last finding a regular lineup spot in 2015-16 with the Vancouver Canucks. He played just one game for the Minnesota Wild last season, spending most of the year with the Iowa Wild of the AHL. That injury replacement role is exactly the kind he’s likely fighting for in Penguins camp, but an NHL contract for the veteran defenseman isn’t out of the question.
One thing to note with any PTO is that it is not just a showcase for the team that signs it, but for the entire league. If Boyle or Bartkowski show enough to catch the eye of another team, they are allowed to sign with anyone they want.
Joe Morrow Signs In KHL
After spending last season in Finland, Joe Morrow isn’t on his way back to North America. Instead, the veteran defenseman has signed a one-year contract with Barys Nur-Sultan of the KHL.
Morrow, 28, played 162 NHL games before heading overseas last year, suiting up for the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and Winnipeg Jets. After terminating his contract with the New Jersey Devils at the end of 2019, he joined Dinamo Minsk for what was left of the KHL season. He managed just three points in 22 games there, but will now test the waters again with another club.
It’s been quite the ride to this point for the 23rd overall pick from 2011. Morrow was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins but traded to the Dallas Stars for Brenden Morrow (no relation) before the end of his first professional season. Just a few months later he’d be flipped again, this time to Boston in the Tyler Seguin deal, after playing just 17 games in the Dallas system. After a few years in Boston he was left unqualified and signed with Montreal, just to find himself traded again to the Jets at the deadline.
Six different NHL organizations and now three overseas clubs by the age of 28, it’s been a roller coaster for the Edmonton native. There’s still time for Morrow to return to North America before his prime years are over (though a chance in the NHL is unlikely at this point), so he remains a name to keep in mind the KHL season ends next year.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Filip Hronek
The Detroit Red Wings have locked up an important restricted free agent, signing Filip Hronek to a three-year contract. The young defenseman was not eligible for salary arbitration. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $4.4MM. PuckPedia provides the full breakdown:
- 2021-22: $2.7MM salary + $500K signing bonus
- 2022-23: $4.5MM salary
- 2023-24: $5.5MM salary
Hronek, 23, may not yet be a household name because of the Red Wings’ lack of recent success, but he certainly should be. Originally selected 53rd overall in 2016, the Czech defenseman has quickly established himself as one of the team’s most important players. Even as a rookie in 2018-19 Hronek was impressive, averaging 20 minutes a night and racking up 23 points in 46 games. That performance has only improved, with 26 points this season and a whopping 23:23 every night. Those 26 points led the entire Red Wings roster.
It’s easy to look at his +/- numbers and see someone that has been -66 through three seasons, but Hronek is exactly the reason why that statistic has fallen out of favor with so many. His on-ice impact has been excellent, even while taking tough deployment with less than stellar linemates. In his three seasons, the most common defense partners for Hronek have been Danny DeKeyser, Patrik Nemeth, and Jonathan Ericsson, while routinely being matched against the opponent’s best (Hronek faced no forward more than Patrick Kane in 2020-21).
As the team around him improves, Hronek should settle into a role a little lower than the one he’s holding right now, averaging three minutes more than any other player on the team. Make no mistake though, this is a key building block for GM Steve Yzerman to work with as a legitimate top-four defenseman now locked up for three years.
Notably, Yzerman has maintained his future flexibility with the three-year bridge deal instead of locking Hronek in long-term. The Red Wings don’t have a single player signed past the 2023-24 season, meaning if this version of the rebuild doesn’t go perfectly, the team can still pivot and doesn’t have to deal with any contract anchors moving forward.
PHR Panel: Offer Sheet Opining
Tomorrow, there is a deadline for the Montreal Canadiens to decide whether or not to match the offer sheet signed by Jesperi Kotkaniemi and the Carolina Hurricanes. The decision they have is a simple one on its face–pay Kotkaniemi $6.1MM for the 2021-22 season, or take Carolina’s first- and third-round picks to let him go.
But it’s much more than just a one-year decision and it has implications that reach much further than just one player. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has been completely silent since the agreement was announced just under a week ago, though there has been some reporting that the team is testing the market on replacement options should Kotkaniemi end up in Carolina.
With this uncommon situation, we’ve decided to unearth one of our former features: The PHR Panel. This time we’re welcoming Josh Erickson to the panel after he joined PHR earlier this offseason, but I, Brian La Rose, and Zach Leach will all give our thoughts as normal on what Montreal should do.
Q: Should Montreal match the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet?
Brian La Rose:
There are two key questions where the answer determines what Montreal should do. Is there a capable second-line center that can be acquired via trade that will be around for more than a year or two? Also, if there is indeed the possibility of an extension below that AAV with Carolina as has been suggested including by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the latest 31 Thoughts podcast, is that also available to Montreal?
If they are unable to land an impact center elsewhere, they may have to bite the bullet as their younger internal options aren’t ready to step into that type of role; the Jonathan Drouin experiment didn’t work the last time they tried it and there’s no reason to think it will now. And on the extension front, if there’s an acceptable one that can effectively be worked out – nothing can be made official until January – then matching for this season knowing a better contract is on the horizon becomes more palatable.
If there’s a reasonable trade waiting for Bergevin that lands him a capable second center behind Nick Suzuki, then walking away and taking the two picks makes sense. Otherwise, with how weak their depth down the middle would be (and there aren’t any impact centers in the pipeline either), they may very well have to match despite the overpayment and the potential for a much messier cap situation moving forward. With things dragging out this long, it doesn’t seem like a viable trade is presenting itself so matching starts to look a bit more viable as a result for the Canadiens but it will undoubtedly be a tough pill to swallow.
Zach Leach:
The Canadiens should match the Kotkaniemi offer sheet. Yes, it may not be the more reasonable of the two choices, but then again this was not a reasonable move in the first place. The Hurricanes clearly have interest in Kotkaniemi, but this offer sheet is all about revenge and embarrassment. Carolina made that perfectly clear with the manner in which they announced and subsequently responded to the news of the offer sheet on social media. If Montreal does not match the offer, then they are making the Hurricanes just the second team to successfully offer sheet a player since the turn of the century. They are admitting that Carolina did a better job of poaching a young impact player than they did two years ago. They are surrendering.
Even if Kotkaniemi is not worth $6.1MM, which no one believes that he is right now, the Canadiens are giving up a promising, 21-year-old prospect who they selected with the No. 3 pick just three years ago, and moreover, he is going to what is suddenly a bitter rival. The Hurricanes may already have a handshake agreement on a more accurately-priced extension with Koktaniemi as well. The young center has tremendous possession numbers, has shown flashes of immense scoring ability, and is filling out his frame and becoming a more physical presence. Kotkaniemi could still be a star in the NHL, even if the early results at a very young age have been unspectacular. He is certainly worth more than late first- and third-round picks, especially to a Montreal team that is thin down the middle. Even if the Canadiens flip that draft pick compensation for a replacement for Kotkaniemi, they are doing so with the rest of the league knowing exactly what is going on and will not receive fair value and likely not adequately address the departure.
Sure, there are serious cap implications for the Canadiens. However, in the short term, they can make room for Kotkaniemi to begin the year, even with a full 23-man roster, by placing Shea Weber on LTIR and burying Paul Byron and Cedric Paquette. Montreal could also keep Kotkaniemi, a center they desperately need, and instead trade a superfluous winger such as Artturi Lehkonen. Might things be tight, short-term and long-term, by accommodating Kotkaniemi’s cap hit? Definitely. But if the Hurricanes are willing to make adjustments, then so too should the Canadiens. Allowing Kotkaniemi to walk and replacing him with another high-cost trade acquisition doesn’t make much cap sense either.
Any result in which the Canadiens do not match the offer sheet is a win for the Hurricanes and a loss for the Canadiens, and frankly, Montreal needs a win. This all began with a poorly constructed offer sheet two years ago for Sebastian Aho that ended up being a favor to the Hurricanes. A better offer could have landed the team the franchise center that they have been looking for. Montreal moved on, made different choices with their forwards, and surprised everyone with a run to the Stanley Cup this season. However, they fell short and now are set to return to the lion’s den that is the Atlantic Division with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Florida Panthers. Their off-season has been defined by a controversial draft choice and several free agent contracts whose values were worthy of skepticism. The Canadiens do not need another blemish this season. Maybe Kotkaniemi doesn’t pan out in the long term, but this is about more than just one player. It is about the image of the club and the morale in the locker room. The Canadiens need to assert themselves and demand some respect when the Hurricanes showed little. They can do that by matching the offer.
Josh Erickson:
There are so many reasons why Montreal’s matching of the Kotkaniemi offer sheet would be completely nonsensical.
Cap space is the most obvious and pressing issue. While Montreal could currently accomodate Kotkaniemi’s $6.1MM cap hit with their LTIR situation, they wouldn’t be able to all season. Byron won’t be out the entire year and will come off LTIR at some point, leaving only Weber’s $7.85MM cap hit on LTIR. With Montreal already spending $2.27MM into their LTIR pool, an additional $6.1MM caused by Kotkaniemi wouldn’t make the team cap-compliant. Even as it stands, Montreal’s active roster only has 19 skaters (Chris Wideman being the likely healthy scratch).
It also doesn’t make a lot of sense to drastically change the team’s makeup to retain Kotkaniemi. The team’s demonstrated a commitment to head coach Dominique Ducharme, who hasn’t developed the best relationship with Kotkaniemi at this point in his career. Selling off assets in order to retain a player who’s future with the club remains uncertain past this season, especially one with a $6.1MM qualifying offer, doesn’t seem like the best position to take from an asset management standpoint.
It all stands to say that the first- and third-round picks are far more valuable to the team at this point in time than Kotkaniemi at a $6.1MM cap hit and qualifying offer. There’s no guarantee that Montreal would be able to receive that return for Kotkaniemi in a future trade.
Gavin Lee:
As you can see from my colleagues, this situation has produced drastically different opinions. That’s exactly what a well-constructed offer sheet is supposed to do; make it a difficult decision on the original team, who then will have to take a gamble one way or the other. There’s no clear answer here for the Canadiens like there was with the Aho offer sheet two years ago.
The simple fact is that Montreal is trying to win right now. You don’t go out and sign Mike Hoffman and David Savard if you’re willing to spend a year developing young talent. The Canadiens want to give Carey Price the best chance to win a Stanley Cup right now, and frankly, I don’t see how letting Kotkaneimi walk helps in that pursuit. Unless there is a legitimate difference-maker out there that you think you can land with those additional assets–someone like Jack Eichel–sure, let him walk and flip the picks. But if you’re going to turn around and trade for someone like Christian Dvorak? Just match the offer and take your chances with an extension negotiation down the road.
The idea that Kotkaniemi is a bust is misguided. If anything, it’s just that his development was rushed by the Canadiens in the first place due to how much they believed in his talent. He turned 21 in July and has already played in 200 NHL games, including 29 postseason contests. He may never become the Anze Kopitar that people compared him to in his draft year–which was always a bit ridiculous–but the idea that he’ll never become more than a third-line center is still very premature.
There is also a mechanism that could get the $6.1MM qualifying offer down a bit, though that may provide little comfort to fans that have already made up their mind on Kotkaniemi. If he fails to live up to that kind of a contract, the Canadiens could elect salary arbitration in the usually unused first window in lieu of a qualifying offer and retain his rights with 85%–$5.185MM–of his contract value. Suddenly that becomes a little more palatable, though it can only be done once in a player’s career and it doesn’t guarantee that salary.
It’s not a situation I’d want to be in, but unless Montreal has a replacement–and a good one, not just a middle-six player–waiting in the wings, they should match the offer.
USA Hockey Announces Olympic Coaching Staff
Now that the NHL has officially agreed to go to the 2022 Winter Olympics, work can start on selecting the rosters. Just a few hours after news broke about NHL participation, USA Hockey has introduced the full coaching staff that will travel to Beijing. It had already been announced that Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins will serve as head coach; he will be joined by John Hynes, David Quinn, Todd Reirden, and Ryan Miller.
The U.S. Olympic team general manager Stan Bowman released a statement on the staff:
We’ve got a great coaching staff in place. It’s a group that knows what it takes to be successful, and through their unique and varied backgrounds will help put our team in the best position to win the gold medal.
Hynes, who is also the head coach of the Nashville Predators, will serve as an assistant and was an obvious addition. He has a long track record with the program, including being part of gold medal-winning efforts at the U18 and U20 World Juniors. Hynes was the head coach of the 2016 World Championship squad, an assistant at the 2016 World Cup, and an assistant at the 2019 World Championship. He also spent several seasons as the head coach of the National Team Development Program.
Many of the same things could be said about Quinn, who will also serve as an assistant on Sullivan’s staff. He has been an assistant several times at the World Championship and was in the NTDP at the same time as Hynes. Quinn was previously head coach of the New York Rangers for three seasons and was an extremely successful college coach.
Reirden will bring a certain level of familiarity for Sullivan, given as he serves as an assistant with the Penguins already. He actually has not made an appearance coaching internationally in the past, which makes this appointment somewhat surprising. Not many coaches get a chance to step right into the Olympics, but that’s what Reirden, a Stanley Cup-winning assistant with the Washington Capitals, will do next spring.
Even more impressive is Miller, who not only is going to the Olympics as an assistant coach for the first time, but it is his first experience as a coach at any level. The veteran goaltender only announced his retirement earlier this year after a long, successful career that included two Olympic performances as a player. He won the silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and was named the most valuable player of the tournament.
Ottawa Senators Sign Drake Batherson
The Ottawa Senators have locked up one of their young forwards, signing Drake Batherson to a six-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $4.975MM, and keeps Batherson under contract through the 2026-27 season. The full breakdown is as follows:
- 2021-22: $2.5MM
- 2022-23: $3.5MM
- 2023-24: $5.4MM
- 2024-25: $5.4MM
- 2025-26: $6.5MM
- 2026-27: $6.55MM
Included in the Senators press release is a statement from general manager Pierre Dorion:
Drake represents an integral component of our future at forward. Dating to his first pro season, he has steadily progressed to the point where he is now widely recognized as a bonafide top line NHL winger. He possesses a strong ability to play at both ends of the ice, is a key powerplay contributor and someone we expect to be a prominent player for us for several years to come.
Widely recognized may not be entirely accurate as the Senators haven’t generated a ton of attention over the last few years, but there’s no doubt that Batherson was one of the team’s brightest stars this season. The 23-year-old forward scored 17 goals and 34 points in 56 games, showing that the outstanding offensive play he has produced at the AHL level could translate to the NHL.
Originally selected in the fourth round in 2017, Batherson has done nothing but score since he pulled on a Senators sweater. In 2018-19, during his first professional season, he registered 62 points in 59 games for the Belleville Senators and earned himself 20 NHL contests. In 2019-20 he put up 54 points in 44 AHL games while playing another 23 games with Ottawa. This year it was all the NHL, as he suited up for every game and finished just two points behind Brady Tkachuk for the team lead.
For fans of junior hockey, Batherson’s rise to the top of the Senators lineup won’t be surprising. Despite not competing much internationally as a young player, in 2017 he made the Canadian World Junior roster after an outstanding start to his QMJHL season and ended up scoring seven goals in seven games to help take home the gold medal.
He’s now getting rewarded with a healthy contract that buys out two unrestricted free agent years and keeps Batherson in Ottawa through his prime. As the team turns the corner on their rebuild and starts contending for a playoff spot, it will be young, homegrown forwards that lead the way. This deal takes him just ahead of Colin White to make Batherson the highest-paid forward on the team, though that will not likely last very long. Tkachuk still needs a contract of his own, and given the speculation about an eight-year deal, will certainly come in ahead of this $4.975MM AAV.
Normally contracts of this length come with plenty of risks, but for the Senators, who aren’t in the same zipcode as the cap ceiling, it doesn’t pose much of a threat. Sure, the team doesn’t really have the financial power to pay players more than what they’re worth, but betting on Batherson’s development is a worthwhile gamble at this point. Should he continue to improve, there’s a good chance he’s providing surplus value for several years of the contract as he grows into his own as a top-six player in the NHL. The Senators are still under the cap floor for the time being, though Tkachuk’s deal will soon fix that issue.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images