Senators Shut Down Trade Rumors on Star Forward

The Ottawa Senators took a major step forward this season, finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division with 97 points and making the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

After that performance, they understandably believe that their best course of action is to continue building on what they have, even if some have other ideas.

Earlier this week, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reported that teams were wondering if the Senators could trade star forward Drake Batherson around the time of the NHL Draft later this month, though he added that they were uncertain about dealing him. If general manager Steve Staios' comments are anything to go by, the answer to those teams' questions is a resounding no.

“There’s no truth to that.” Staios said at the team's alumni golf tournament Friday, per TSN. “Drake didn’t seem concerned at all. Talked to him mostly about his training and how he’s going to approach the summer.”

Team owner Michael Andlauer echoed that sentiment. If anything, he took things a step further.

“It's not right. There’s no truth to that,” Andlauer said, per Sportsnet. "You just gotta get your sources right. You can always validate it here. But it's not for me or Steve. To me it's all about the player because now all of a sudden this guy is seeing that and it's totally false."

Batherson, 27, scored a career-high 68 points (26 goals, 42 assists) in 82 games this season. However, he struggled in the playoffs, posting only two points (one goal, one assist) in a six-game loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Battle of Ontario.

The 2017 fourth-round pick has two years left on his contract at a cap hit of $4.975 million. He does not have any trade protection, however.

If the Senators do change their minds and decide to deal Batherson, they'd need an offer that they couldn't refuse. That seems very unlikely at the moment, though.