NHL Rumors: Drake Batherson Trade Rumors Heating Up for Senators

Talks are heating up for Ottawa Senators trade candidate Drake Batherson

With two years still to run on a reasonable $4.975 cap hit, Ottawa Senators top-six forward Drake Batherson will be an attractive piece on the rumor mill, and according to the latest from insider Bruce Garrioch in the Ottawa Citizen, trade talks are "heating up."

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.
We’re led to believe some within the organization are frustrated with his lack of consistency.

Batherson, 27, has in fact posted three straight seasons of between 22-28 goals per year, and has increased his point production from 62 to 66 to 68 over the last three years. But it's his playoff performance that has some in the Ottawa front office concerned. He notched just two points in their six-game first-round defeat at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Talks "will get feverish" this week, says Garrioch, as all 32 teams have front office types at the NHL Combine in Buffalo.

What are the Senators looking for in trade talks?

Garrioch indicates that "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."

If Batherson is moved, they will have to get a top-six scorer back in return. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder finished this season with 26 goals and 68 points along with 149 hits.