Trading Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers last month placed additional pressure on Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios to bolster his offense.
Staios moved quickly, acquiring left winger William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks and Andre Burakovsky from the Chicago Blackhawks. Meanwhile, Tkachuk's departure also put more urgency on his efforts to lock up Drake Batherson to a new contract.
Batherson is among the Senators' most consistent offensive stars. Since his first full NHL season in 2020-21, he's third behind Tim Stutzle and Tkachuk in scoring with 143 goals and 202 assists for 345 points.
Now 28, Batherson is in the final season of a six-year contract worth an average annual value of $4.975 million. He's eligible to become an UFA next July and will be seeking a substantial raise.
According to Postmedia, Batherson wants to stay with the Senators, and they want to keep him. However, finding a suitable salary could be a sticking point in their negotiations.
The report cited several unnamed league executives claiming that Batherson could command between $10 million and $11 million annually on his next contract. It also stated that his camp is using Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings ($10.625 million average annual value) and Alex Tuch of the Washington Capitals ($10.5 million) as potential comparables.
In the meantime, Staios is reportedly continuing to search for additional scoring.
The Hockey News' Ryan Lambert recently noted that wingers Patrik Laine and former Senator Vladimir Tarasenko remain available. He also suggested Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks, Pavel Zacha of the Boston Bruins and Kirill Marchenko of the Columbus Blue Jackets as trade options.
Laine and Tarasenko would be far more affordable acquisitions. However, their best seasons are behind them and are unlikely to provide much of a boost to the Senators' offense.
It would take a significant pitch to the Canucks to acquire Boeser, assuming he'll waive his no-move clause. The Bruins are believed to be trying to re-sign Zacha, while Blue Jackets management seems intent on hanging on to Marchenko despite his rumored reluctance to sign an extension next summer.
If forwards aren't available, perhaps Staios might consider adding a puck-moving defenseman.
On July 20, Josh Yohe of The Athletic said he'd be surprised if the Pittsburgh Penguins re-sign Erik Karlsson. He speculated they could peddle the 36-year-old blueliner if the playoffs seem unlikely. However, Jimmy Murphy of The Sick Podcast predicted Karlsson could be moved to the Senators or Toronto Maple Leafs before the start of the season.
Karlsson's return to Ottawa seems unlikely this summer, but it's a possibility near the March 1 trade deadline if the Senators remain buyers and the Penguins are out of playoff contention.