Drake Batherson has locked in for eight more years with the Ottawa Senators, just hours before the deadline to sign for that long.
Batherson and the Senators agreed to terms on an eight-year contract extension, the team announced Tuesday. It is the largest contract in franchise history and comes with an average annual value of $10.5 million.
"This is where I call home and where I want to be," Batherson said in a press conference on Tuesday.
He added that he never foresaw himself becoming the highest-paid player in team history.
"I don't think I'd ever thought I'd make this kind of money, but obviously where the league's going, and how high the salary cap's going," he said."You saw some guys this summer, but it's gonna keep growing, and I think that's awesome for all the players."
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the 28-year-old's new deal includes $30 million in bonuses, the first time the Senators have done that, and also a no-move clause for the first four seasons.
“Drake exemplifies what it is to be an Ottawa Senator,” said GM Steve Staios in a statement provided by the team. “He was drafted and developed by our organization and has shown a commitment to wanting to be in Ottawa long term.
We view him as a key part of our core group.”
The deal comes before the new CBA between the NHL and NHLPA kicks in at midnight on Tuesday into Wednesday, which lowers the maximum term on a contract to seven years for a re-signing player and six years for a player changing teams in free agency.
It also comes during a time of rising player salaries across the NHL, including record contracts for the likes of Cale Makar and Macklin Celebrini.
Now, Batherson has a record of his own.
"Going into the summer, I didn't think I'd land on this number, personally. And the obviously, once (Kirill Kaprizov) and Carlsson, these guys started getting paid, it just kind of gradually rose for me, I guess," he said.
Batherson added he was barbecuing with Stephen Halliday and Jake Sanderson Monday night when the call came that the deal was done.
"I paid for the steaks," he joked.
Batherson’s new extension will begin in the 2027-28 season after his current six-year, $29.85-million deal expires. This new contract will expire after the 2034-35 season, when Batherson is 37 years old.
He said he was keen to get the deal done ahead of training camp.
"Whatever the number was," he said."I just wanted to come into the rink and focus on playing hockey, and not have to worry about anything."
Batherson has been steadily improving his offence each year, and last season he scored a career-high 33 goals and 71 points, his seventh consecutive points increase. With former captain Brady Tkachuk traded to the Panthers, the forward will be one of the players counted on to be a leader as the Senators look to build on back-to-back trips to the playoffs.
Batherson has 364 points in 470 regular-season games and ranks 10th on the Senators' all-time scoring list.
--with files from The Canadian Press