The milestones can come fast and furious for young NHL forwards.

First contract. First training camp. First game. First goal. First full season.

Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson hit two in succession earlier this year. First, he played in his 100th game. Then, with the blessing of a veteran leader, he skated helmetless in a pregame warmup for the first time.

"I had only gone to two NHL games in my life before I played in one. From watching on TV, guys going helmet off, I thought it was the coolest thing ever," Batherson told theScore Tuesday afternoon during a phone interview.

"It kind of gives the fans a close-up look of you in warmup," he added. "I don't know, it wakes me up a bit too, I find. Fresh air on the face, right?"

Practically speaking, taking warmup without a helmet is nothing more than a fun little perk to Batherson. But, from afar, it signals something significant for a late bloomer chosen 121st overall in the 2017 draft. It means he's no longer a newcomer and won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Batherson, who turns 24 on April 27, is enjoying a breakout season, although health-related issues have stalled his momentum three times.

The Nova Scotia product missed five games in the fall for COVID-19 protocol, another 28 contests midseason after suffering a high-ankle sprain thanks to goalie Aaron Dell, and three more over the past week due to a non-COVID illness.

"Cold sweats, pounding headache, couldn't eat for four or five days, lost almost 10 pounds. It was pretty rough," Batherson said prior to scoring his 15th goal of the season in Ottawa's 4-1 road win over the Detroit Red Wings.

Despite the stops and starts, Batherson has recorded a career-high 39 points in 37 games. We picked Batherson's brain about his breakout, his rise through the ranks, teammates Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris, the Sens' future, and more.

Breaking through

Batherson, a right-handed playmaker, admits he's not the type to burst onto the scene. There's always been a "feeling-out process" every time he's graduated to a higher league - from Junior A to major junior, major junior to the AHL.

"Same in the NHL," he said. "First full year, some growing pains, still produced pretty solidly. And then, coming into this year, I knew what I could do because I did the best I could all summer to prepare. I wanted to be an impact player every night. I think I was doing a pretty good job of that (before the injury and illness), and that's the level I want to get back to down the stretch here."

Fresh off signing a six-year contract extension, Batherson arrived at camp feeling "really lean." He credits Andy O'Brien, the Halifax-based trainer of Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, for getting him down to 198 pounds.

"We did a lot of mobility stuff, which I think I needed," Batherson said. "I had a huge growth spurt when I was 17, so I feel like I'm just kind of maturing into my body. I was even still growing as a second-year pro. I grew half an inch."

The 6-foot-3 winger dazzled in the opening stretch of 2021-22, recording a team-high 13 goals and 21 assists in the first 31 games. He was named an All-Star, but the ankle injury kept him from attending the Las Vegas event.

Batherson notes that Crosby, who battled through a high-ankle sprain early in his career, offered perspective and encouragement during his recovery.

"You can't get too frustrated, or else you'll drive yourself a little crazy," Batherson said of a roller-coaster season headlined by three four-point performances. "You've got to go with the flow and have a positive mindset."

Batherson is a hockey geek, that guy on the Sens who'll watch multiple games from his couch on a day off. He'll study playmaking wingers like Mitch Marner, Artemi Panarin, Patrick Kane, and, particularly of late, Filip Forsberg.

"He's really explosive," Batherson said of Nashville's Forsberg. "He can pass. He can score. He's competitive. I like every aspect of his game, and I feel like every time he has the puck in the (offensive) zone, he's making something happen. I've played against him a few times now, and I don't know, he's just a dangerous player, a big guy who protects the puck. And I've also seen him score some great goals in the playoffs. He's able to do it in the postseason.

"I'd love to be like him one day," he added. "For sure."

Hockey over golf

At 16, while his future NHL buddies plied their trades 12 months a year, Batherson had a decision to make: Hockey or golf. He probably could have landed a Division I scholarship as a better-than-scratch golfer back then.

His passion for hockey - he obsessed over it as a teen, too - was too strong.

"I realized I can spend hours on the ice practicing, whereas golf I just wanted to go to the course and play and then go home. I didn't like going to the range," he said. "Right then and there, I knew I should stick with hockey."

Batherson was never a can't-miss prospect. He was hardly a superstar in minor hockey, a sixth-round pick in the QMJHL draft, and a fourth-rounder in the NHL. So, when did he know he was going to make a career out of his passion?

"The world juniors," Batherson said of the 2018 U20 tournament, putting up seven points in seven games to help Canada win gold. "My team was full of first-round picks, second-round picks. I felt like I had a good tournament there, so I said, 'I think I can do this.' A year later, I played 20 games in the NHL."

Batherson, trying to avoid injury ahead of contract negotiations, declined an invite to last year's world championships. However, with the Sens missing the playoffs again, he'd be thrilled to pull on the Canadian jersey in May at the 2022 worlds.

"If I get the opportunity, I'd absolutely love to go," he said.

As for the state of his golf game ... "I only play once or twice a week," he said with a short laugh. "I'm probably around a four-handicap." Huh, not bad.

Supporting Stutzle

The 27-40-6 Sens aren't just one player away from being a threat in the NHL. It's clear the rebuild isn't over. What's also clear is that the young core is tight.

With that in mind, what did Batherson think about Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher accusing Stutzle - the third overall pick in the 2020 draft and one of Batherson's linemates - of diving not only during last week's Habs-Sens game but in previous meetings between the two clubs?

"I feel like guys are always saying stuff to the media to get in other teams' heads or individuals' heads," Batherson said. "Talking to Timmy, he kind of laughed and shook it off. It didn't bother him at all. That's just Timmy."

He added, "I love Timmy as a guy, I love him as a player, so if (Gallagher) wants to try to get into Timmy's head, go ahead. But I know that's not going to stop Timmy from doing his thing out there. Timmy's a feisty player."

In his rant, Gallagher went as far as saying, "If I was a teammate of (Stutzle's), I'd tell him to smarten up. It's just not a good look. Very talented player, very good player. He needs to stop laying on the ice. It's embarrassing."

It's safe to say Batherson and his teammates aren't taking Gallagher's advice.

"There's refs in the league who've been around 20, 30 years. They've seen it all," he said. "If they see that he's flopping, they'll call him on it. That's not the case, so we'll just let it go, and he'll just keep doing his thing out there. He's not afraid to get his nose dirty, so I've got all the respect in the world for him."

Batherson, Stutzle, Norris, Brady Tkachuk, and Alex Formenton are all 23 or younger. They're the present and future of Ottawa's top-six up front.

Norris, who has potted 32 goals over 57 games in 2021-22, and Tkachuk, the highly-skilled, heart-and-soul captain, are also amid career seasons.

Batherson on Norris: "He's a full 200-foot player with great hockey IQ and an unbelievable shot. He's shown it this year. Anytime he gets a second, he can absolutely rip it. For me, when I play on his line, I just have to find an opening and hit him with a pass, whether it's in the slot or coming down on the rush."

Batherson on Tkachuk: "Sometimes I forget he's a year younger than me. Great leadership qualities. When we're (bonding as a group) off the ice, he wants everyone on the team to be involved. He brings a ton of energy, and you feed off guys like that. He really leads the way, coming to play every night."

Senators' future

Batherson has become a fan favorite. Sens supporters love his congeniality, sense of humor, on-ice production, and commitment to the franchise.

Yet, even if Batherson continues his upward trajectory, the fan base will judge him and the rest of the core solely by wins and losses at some point.

"Next year we're looking forward to everyone coming in healthy, getting through preseason healthy, and coming out the gates better," he said. "There's going to be no excuses to not do (well). We're going to have a ton of young guys, and a ton of guys like myself, who have been around for two or three years. There's no reason why we can't play for a playoff spot next year."

The 2022-23 season will be the first full campaign since the passing of Eugene Melnyk, who owned the team for nearly two decades. Melnyk died in March at the age of 62. Batherson attended his funeral in Toronto last week.

Batherson, who didn't know Melnyk well, called his passing "terrible news."

"He gave me my new contract," he said. "He changed everything for me and my family, so I couldn't thank him enough for all he did for me.

"Hopefully," he later added, "we can bring the Stanley Cup here one day."

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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