2025-26 Season Spotlight: Jake Sanderson
The silver lining's playbook
Given their maddeningly inconsistent offense, putrid goaltending (30th in OISV%) and awful injury luck (Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, Shane Pinto, etc.), this year could be going so much worse for the 13-12-4 Senators.
They remain within striking distance of the Eastern Conference bubble due in large part to their 1D’s efforts to right the ship. Four seasons into his career, Jake Sanderson’s premium components are coalescing into a fearsome two-way machine and fast-tracking his ascent into the NHL’s upper echelon.
Here’s how.
Defense
After entering the league as one of the rangiest defensive prospects of the past decade, the 23-year-old’s toolsy dimension has certainly translated to The Show. He stands 6’2”, 202 pounds, possesses a long wingspan and figures among the finest skaters at his position.
You couldn’t ask for better raw materials:
Sanderson’s torrid speed has made him one of the most irritating matchup blueliners on the planet. It feels as though he’s everywhere at once in the NZ, contesting touch upon touch on zone denial duty. Meanwhile, he protects the house yet is explosive enough to close the distance further out in an instant. The amount of ice he covers—and the velocity with which he covers it—is frightening:
Yes, he can keep pace with anyone in the world. That doesn’t mean he blitzes the puck on sight. He’s a modern NZ stopper who balances assertiveness and structural integrity.
Rather than attacking forwards like a Florida Panthers rearguard, he employs Jaccob Slavin’s flavor of gap control, eating so much territory BEFORE the puck-carrier has directed their momentum up ice that he can sit in his backskate, jab at the biscuit and gently escort them into no man’s land. Once he settles into his depth, your maneuverability vanishes. You’re caught in his tractor beam.
Take note of his starting point on some of the opposition’s counters:
By beginning these sequences in an open stance (i.e. a superior stick-checking stance) mere feet away from the puck-carrier, he immediately messes with their rhythm. If they march forward, he has both the reach to discourage controlled entries and the wheels to harass multiple targets. If they slow down, Ottawa’s F3 will catch up.
The icing on the cake is his stick discipline. Beyond his wheels, Sanderson’s inside-out stubbornness may well define his game. After watching opponents burn him a couple of times in his rookie season, he now categorically refuses to concede the guts of the ice, using his blade to cordon off against-the-grain designs and his feet to squeeze forwards into dead ends. Suffocating stuff.
On top of that—the cherry, I suppose—he’s body-conscious in chip-and-chase scenarios. Even when teams accept the worst mode of entry, he makes sure to get a piece of the opposition’s F1, which grants RD Artem Zub an extra beat to scan for options ahead of the heat’s arrival.
In the DZ, we should circle back to his stick work:
Few star D-men defend with such a robotic focus on interiority. Moritz Seider is comparable in this regard, but while the German combines finesse and brawn, Sanderson couples precision with blistering tempo. His stick placement flushes you to the boards, then his length screams out from the shadows to make unexpected puck contact. He completes stops that most D-men couldn’t fathom.
Just getting a shot past him is a painstaking process. It’s stick on rubber over and over again—and he makes it seem easy:
One minute into his shift, he faces a 1-on-1 vs. Dylan Holloway (STL 81) fresh out of the penalty box. You’d expect a D-man to bolt home in a straight line, right? Sanderson isn’t any ordinary defender and thus…swivels onto his backskate:
For nearly any other player, giving up speed here rolls out the red carpet for the winger to blow by them. I mean, he’s skating backwards and his feet are level with (if not a hair behind) those of a forward driving to the cage. We’re talking a benchable offense.
Unfortunately for the Blues, that range is outrageous.
A tired Sanderson is still so confident in his transitions and stick work that instead of sprinting, which would supply Holloway with momentum to work against, his top priority is pivoting to fence off the guts of the ice. He immediately slices the offensive real estate in half. Without an inside move at his disposal, the forward must either shoot from distance or continue on the path his counterpart has selected for him. Not the most attractive choices. He goes for B:
Once Holloway reveals his intentions (lower posture), Sanderson pivots again to improve his stick-checking angle, wields a free-arm wedge to maintain his grip on the slot and swipes down to meet Holloway’s release point.
In the end, St. Louis cooks up a favorable post-PK look and fails to register a shot:
Sanderson’s length often enables him to bail the Sens out of outnumbered/sketchy situations. Although the team is generally playing sounder hockey in 2025-26 (5th in xGF%), Zub has been a mixed bag and the forwards have struggled on PK coverage hand-offs. Its 1D has been forced to batten down the hatches:
There are traces of prime Drew Doughty in his scrambling instincts. In his anticipation and ability to impede the attack by any means—and with any limbs—necessary. Now picture Dewey with a rocket strapped to his back. Due to this rare blend of attributes, Sanderson can extinguish fires in a way that not many defensemen can. Again, that range is insane.
Should he ever master the Vladislav Gavrikov belly flop (e.g. 0:37), he’ll have opponents ripping their hair out.
Of course, we all know that a perfect defender doesn’t exist. Sanderson is no exception, and his steadfast adherence to the Senators’ hybrid scheme (zone below the dots vs. man up top) has hurt the team a couple of times this season. In the clips below, he weighs zonal responsibility over an imminent threat:
I’m sure the coaching staff has reviewed these sequences with him. Experience should sharpen his net-front reads too. Let’s not forget that he’s a 23-year-old playing his club’s most difficult minutes at the sport’s most difficult position.
The odd miscue aside, he’s crushing it:
Sanderson has been remarkably stingy vs. top-flight competition. Among the 104 D-men who have logged 450+ TOI at 5-on-5 this year, he’s conceded the fewest scoring chances, the third-fewest HD chances and the fewest expected goals. If not for the poor goaltending he’s received (9th-lowest OISV%), he’d be rocking a goal share upwards of 55% in matchup minutes.
He’d be gaining recognition as a shutdown defender.
His point-of-attack solidity doesn’t quite rival that of Slavin or Gustav Forsling and the PK is an area that needs tidying (Ottawa’s passive diamond doesn’t help), but when you consider every phase of without-the-puck play, his overall defense isn’t far behind the cream of the crop.
Transition
Earlier in his career, the aspect of Sanderson’s game that popped the most was his puck-carrying out of the DZ. He’s capable of scooping the puck up and separating himself from the pack in a hurry.
He’s reduced these rushes in 2025-26. Perhaps in an effort to maximize his three-zone efficiency and durability over an 82-game schedule in his role, he’s saving his one-man breakouts for tight contests or comeback bids. His transition play has been pared back to smooth retrievals and a crisp first pass.
Here’s a taste of his lighter puck-carrying burden:
A drop in style points hasn’t affected the substance in his contributions. Sanderson is simply going about his business in a subtler manner.
DZ retrievals lie at the heart of his transitional impact:
With his skating and above-average puck skills, shaking the F1 has never been an issue. He’d occasionally stumble into F2’s snare, though. Much like on the defensive side, discipline now reigns supreme, as the 2020 fifth overall pick has become a more diligent pre-scanner. He’s constantly shoulder-checking for oncoming pressure, and that wealth of information is helping him identify his escape routes and available outlets.
On spacious retrievals, he has the talent to evade forecheckers himself. On close-quarters retrievals, he’ll deposit the puck into soft ice while body-blocking the F1 to give his teammates another half-second to exhale.
Great feel for traffic. In addition, he does well to peel the puck a few feet off the kickplate and onto a friendly blade when opponents are sealing the wall.
This play bundles together his defense and retrievals:
Hey, a familiar sight. Stick on puck + trail technique to squash any inklings of inside access.
Philipp Kurashev (SJ 96) tries to sneak a pass through nonetheless, and the puck travels to the wall for a 50/50 battle. The Sharks winger slashes down on Sanderson in hopes of immobilizing his stick and calling dibs on possession. Alas, the lower position is precisely what Ottawa’s two-way pillar seeks to dictate the terms of the duel:
Equipped with the edge in leverage, he can elevate the forward’s twig when he deems it most advantageous. He lets the puck bank off the boards to synchronize his stick lift and recovery.
Since he’s wrestled the puck line away from Kurashev, he has a second to download the lay of the land. Zub (OTT 2) and Shane Pinto (OTT 12) are offering excellent tight support, while Macklin Celebrini (SJ 71) is fixing to circle the net and assist Kurashev’s pursuit.
Having assessed his options, Sanderson flashes his composure:
Moving the puck immediately would have delivered Celebrini and Will Smith (SJ 2) the forechecking gift of certainty. Speed. They could have then hunted Zub down with reckless abandon. Instead, LD1 hangs on until he secures a commitment from F2 (Celebrini breaks stride), thereby buying time for Zub to size up his next move:
One easy-peasy rim later, the Sharks have three forwards below the puck vs. three Sens forwards steaming north.
A defensive scenario vs. San Jose’s top line —> a Senators odd-man rush:
The close two-man support from the clip above isn’t always available. In order to keep opponents honest or generate quick-strike offense, Ottawa must prove that it can stretch the defense as well.
This is where Sanderson’s first pass becomes immensely useful. Although he lacks Quinn Hughes’ home run threat and Adam Fox’s deception, he’s an accurate distributor who’s developed a penchant for indirect bombs. This is about efficient verticality.
Minimizing the other team’s opportunities to intervene:
In 2025-26, Sanderson’s modest puck-carrying load belies his rushing proficiency. When Ottawa needs a spark, he serves up emphatic reminders that he can still push the pace, harnessing his burst and length to power through the opposition’s first defensive layer and bully the back end off the blue line.
His handle is above average at best. His skating, however, is downright sensational. In a recent frustrating outing vs. the Blues, he took it upon himself to jolt the Senators’ attack:
When he decides to kick it into high gear, defenses retreat into a shell. Your most effective deterrent is probably a lethal counterattack. Convince him that he can’t afford to jump up at all. Otherwise, he’ll wreak havoc in tie or one-goal games. A nightmare to contain in and of itself, his tempo also manufactures space for Tim Stützle’s dynamism, Drake Batherson’s craftiness and the mid-range shooting of Pinto and Dylan Cozens to claim center stage.
His textbook retrievals nudge teammates out of the starting blocks. His pinpoint feeds can bypass the transition phase. Finally, his solo skills represent the wild card, unblocking his five-man unit when all else fails.
It’s a lot to contend with, which is why Ottawa governs the lion’s share of shot attempts during his shifts:
Reminder: Sanderson is the club’s matchup defenseman. His primary goal is, well, to prevent them. Linus Ullmark has made that a little tricky, but the rearguard has delivered the next best outcome. The Senators are dominating the territorial fight when he’s out there.
Offense
Sanderson has blossomed into a competent PP point man over the past two years. At 5-on-5, his offense is…OK. It’s also the weakest element of his all-around arsenal. He doesn’t display much creativity or have—nor does he appear to desire—the license to throw caution to the wind.
This is a two-way defenseman who’s ever-cognizant of his shutdown responsibilities. His attacking tendencies are a touch more refined than meat and potatoes, as you’ll witness a stream of long-range shots and pinches to extend OZ time. While he’s introduced more one-timers from high middle ice and will partake in weak-side rushes, there’s an understated quality to his in-zone offense:
Especially from distance, Sanderson can leave you wanting more. A player blessed with his wheels shouldn’t settle for low-percentage shots in the face of collapsing defenders. Wiggle isn’t the name of his game, but he’s mobile enough to walk the line, drive-and-kick to teammates or even barrel below the goal line to alter the point of attack.
Pull defenders out of their groove. Test their mettle. He has the tools for the job.
As it stands, he’s too willing to stay on the rails and allow his mark to slowly eat away at his shooting lane. Even when he has a glaring speed advantage, he seems reluctant to challenge his counterpart to the outside (a comparatively safe mode of attack):
Don’t expect Sanderson to summon east-west brilliance out of the blue. For him, progress will assume the form of decisiveness. If forwards are shrinking his ice, it should be part of the plan. Draw them in and prepare to spring in the opposite direction. If he can gain half a step along the boards, go. Navigating past the first obstacle and working low-high is a great way to drum up 5-on-5 offense.
Granted, we can’t overlook the delicate balance in play for matchup defensemen. He shouldn’t dive headfirst into every 1-on-1 opportunity, but he should at least seize SOME of them. Ottawa’s EV attack sorely needs it.
One area in which he has applied a fair deal of pressure on the opposition is mid-range shooting. He’s fine-tuned his timing and spacing to the point where he frequently exploits forwards who have their back turned to him in the low-high action I just mentioned.
Feels like a matter of time until he cashes in:
Sanderson’s nose for creeping in suits a Senators offense that shines brightest in the muck below the goal line. What’s more, this habit plays to his individual strengths. He’s a thoroughbred whose skill set is oriented around his skating, so enhancing the attack through his feet instead of his hands makes perfect sense.
That feet-over-hands M.O. comes into sharper relief in close contests. Similarly to in transition, when the blueliner decides to grab the game by the scruff of its neck, he’s a nigh-unstoppable bullet train:
Seeing as he isn’t the most incisive passer around and Ottawa’s forwards are prone to cold spells, the no-frills power drive is a nice addition to his repertoire. He can outrace the majority of defenders down the wall, while his teammates can prioritize grease over marksmanship.
Such aggro sequences do involve a positional risk by their very nature, yet this is a squad whose winning percentage ranks 19th in one-goal games at the moment. It needs a boost from the back end—and not strictly when it’s tied late or chasing the lead. An early tally or an insurance marker would calm the Senators’ nerves and instill faith in head coach Travis Green’s formula.
He doesn’t have to shove the puck down the opposition’s throat himself to be of enormous help either:
Although high give-and-gos have become common across the league, Ottawa seldom makes use of them. It should rectify that, as Sanderson, Chabot and Jordan Spence are all spry players who would benefit from downhill touches. Beckoning defenders forward, dashing into the vacated space and creating net scrambles would toss the opposition a curveball and position the Sens’ forward corps for success. They’re at their best when they roll up their sleeves in the trenches.
In the meantime, Sanderson’s mid-range creeping and periodic stampedes (HD chance rate up from 0.18 to 0.61 per 60 minutes) have still significantly upgraded his EV offense:
In the eyes of voters, blueliners must hit ~55 points to garner Norris Trophy consideration. Sanderson, who inched past that threshold last year (57 points and 10th place in voting), is pacing for 68 in 2025-26. Unless Ottawa bottoms out, he should end the campaign as a top 5-6 candidate.
Ratchet up his aggressiveness one more notch, and he may leap into the top three.
More urgently, he’d propel the Sens through their current rough patch. In the razor-tight Atlantic Division—and Eastern Conference—that could translate to a playoff berth.
Sanderson has been fed more minutes (8th in the league) and responsibilities in four consecutive seasons. He’s earned that trust because his game has yet to cease growing. There’s no ceiling for miles. By the time he finally peaks (probably at age 26-27), we might be looking at the sport’s most complete matchup defenseman.
He really is that good. Whether or not the rest of Ottawa’s roster can carry its weight is…a different story.