Senators' Drake Batherson out 'a couple months' after hit from Sabres' Aaron Dell

It was already known that Ottawa Senators star forward Drake Batherson would be sidelined through at least the All-Star Game scheduled for Feb. 5 due to the high ankle sprain he suffered as a result of the questionable hit delivered by Buffalo Sabres goaltender Aaron Dell in Tuesday's game, a check that earned Dell a three-game suspension. The concern was that the his absence could be much longer.

Senators coach D.J. Smith confirmed expected bad news on Thursday. 

"You're looking at a couple months, for sure. Maybe longer," Smith said of Batherson's absence, according to Callum Fraser of the NHL's website. "He's such a great kid. The first thing he said after the game, he wasn't talking about himself. I said, 'Tough break. Looks like you're not going to be able to go to the All-Star Game. It's terrible.' And the first thing he said was, 'But what a hat trick by (forward Tyler) Ennis.' He's just that kind of kid. You're going to miss that around the room, win, lose or draw. His attitude, he's coming around in the league, the way he can make plays, we're going to miss him in all areas."

Batherson was leading the Senators with 34 points and 21 assists this season, per ESPN stats. Ottawa is currently seventh in the Atlantic Division standings, meaning there may ultimately be discussions about shutting Batherson down for the rest of the campaign regardless of his status this spring. 

While Dell insisted he "wasn't trying to hurt anybody," the NHL's Department of Player Safety explained he was guilty of "delivering a hit to an unsuspecting player that causes a dangerous fall into the boards" and also that Batherson was "not eligible to be checked on this play in any manner" because he didn't have possession of the puck. 

Senators goalie Matt Murray called Dell's actions "a dangerous play" after the fact.