from Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen,

Don’t hold your breath waiting for Ottawa Senators defenceman Marc Methot to sign a long-term contract extension any time soon.

Negotiations between the Senators and Methot’s agent, Larry Kelly, are at a stalemate as the sides try to work out a deal to prevent the 6-3, 230-pound defenceman from becoming an unrestricted free agent following the 2014-15 season.

Methot, who will make $3.75 million next season in the final year of a four-year, $12 million contract, has been compared to Brooks Orpik of the Washington Capitals and Matt Carle of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Orpik signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with Washington during the summer and Carle is heading into the second year of his six-year, $33 million deal with Tampa.

But that’s a big price tag for the Senators, whose 2013-14 payroll ranks 28th among 30 NHL teams. The Senators are also in the midst of talks to try to keep Bobby Ryan, Clarke MacArthur and Craig Anderson from becoming unrestricted free agents next summer.

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