With the 2025-26 season that is approaching quickly, it is time to look at what the Ottawa senators should work together. They finally returned to the play -offs, but this season is about building up the success they have found last season.
In this preview series of 2025-26 players we will look at all players and what we should look for this season, starting with Jake Sanderson.
Sanderson for the figures
Set up: 5one Generally (first round) in 2020 by the senators
Position: Defense (shoots left)
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 204 pounds
Age/date of birth: 23 years old (7/08/2002)
Land: United States
2024-25 Statistics: 11 goals, 46 assists, 57 points in 80 games
Career Statistics: 25 goals, 102 assists, 127 points in 236 games
How he came here
After they were selected in fifth place in 2020, many people had trouble justifying the selection. It didn’t take any time for people to acknowledge that Sanderson had the potential to become a star defender. During his first three seasons, Sanderson has one great extensionEarning more than $ 8 million per season and has become a phenomenal two -way threat at the back.
Sanderson’s game brought it to the Calder trophy, the Lady Bynd twice, and he finished 10th in Norris Trophy who voted last season. The NHL network rated Sanderson as the 13th best defender in the competition and the fourth best player In the competition under the age of 26, only colleague defender Rasmus Dahlin, teammate Tim Stutzle and Jack Hughes followed.
Related: Ottawa Senators Stanley Cup Checklist – Update 2025 Out of season
Sanderson earned a place on the 4-country face-off selection for Team USA and played very well, including his Go-Ahead goal in the last game of the tournament. He is also invited to the Olympic camp of Team USA.
Sanderon’s role in 2025-26
It is fairly easy to explain what the role of Sanderson is for this season. He goes to the top of Power Play, he will kill and the go-to-guy for even strength. His role is to do it all, and he has done that well in his career so far.
The senators struggled with 5-on-5 scoring last season and Sanderson was part of it. Last season, Sanderson only scored 17 5-on-5 points and ranked 13th in the team. Although he cannot be produced in his role at a point-per-game pace or something, seeing a little more offensive game from him would not even harm the team with even strength.
On the defensive side of the puck, Sanderson just has to keep doing what he does. He has a very smart stick; He can play physical hockey, but it is not his style and he skates like the wind. He puts all those physical skills together with his great hockey-IQ, and he can be one of the best defending defenders in the competition, plus 60-point upside down.
With the top four of the senators who are quite old according to NHL standards, Sanderson takes the opportunity to be the go-to man and run with it. Although his partner has not yet been cemented for the season, playing alongside Artem Zub was a good thing for him.
Sanderson was bound to Travis Hamonic for a large part of last season. Although Hamonic has a number of valuable qualities, he and Sanderson play with very different speeds and should not be placed in the same situations. Sanderson often had to hold offensive and play less risky, while he also had to cover the defensive side even more carefully.
Outside of Sanderson is just really good and it has a positive possession, it also places Thomas Chabot in a better place, so that he can thrive with less ice age than he was used to during the rebuilding.
The maturity and skill that Sanderson has shown during the early running of his career have reversed the senators franchise. He is one of the main reasons why they could break through their play-off-less streak and will be a factor in their plan to hopefully compete for the Stanley Cup.
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