Senators’ Drake Batherson to make season debut against Sabres on Oct. 15

The Ottawa Senators are getting some reinforcements for Wednesday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, with forward Drake Batherson set to return to the lineup after missing the team’s first three games of the season. 

The 27-year-old suffered an upper-body injury in training camp, and missed a 5–4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, before his team lost to the Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators. 

Batherson joined the team on the season-opening road trip, but did not suit up in either game.

In the three previous seasons, he played all 82 regular season contests, with 2024-25 seeing home post a career-high 26 goals and 68 points, pushing his NHL career total to 116 goals and 293 points in 391 games. 

“Yeah, feeling a lot better, I think, especially today,” Batherson told the media after Sunday’s skate, having played in just one preseason game. “I don’t know if it was the warm weather or something, but (the injured area) felt really good today and I should be playing this week for sure.”

“Yeah, it’s weird. I mean, it’s the first time I’ve missed games in three and a half years, so it’s a little awkward…I’m not too sure how to get to the press box and stuff like that, so Jordan Spence is taking me around. But no, it’s always tough watching.”

While he is set to return as a vital piece, the status of captain Brady Tkachuk remains unclear. Tkachuk suffered an injury to his right arm in Monday’s loss to Nashville, and was unable to finish the game 

Looking to snap their two-game losing skid, the Senators are back on the road to face the Sabres, with puck drop set for 7:00 pm ET. Afterwards, they return home for their first multigame home stand of the regular season, welcoming the Seattle Kraken, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers to the Canadian Tire Centre.