Jake Sanderson is here. Well, not just yet as he nurses a hand injury. But the 5th overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft is set to make his NHL debut this season. Just this Sunday, Sanderson signed his entry level contract with the Senators, which will continue for 2 years after this one. Which makes this a great time to review his development since 2020, and what we can expect from him in the future.
On March 13th, 2020, Jake Sanderson played his last game for the United States National Development Program due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While there was a return to play for the NHL that summer, development leagues would not start up again until the fall. Since the NHL draft was not concluded until October 2020, this gave NHL scouting staff 7 months to analyze their potential players.
Sanderson was always touted as a strong two-way defenseman and was considered a “safe pick”. Heading into the 2019-20 year, he was touted as an average 1st round pick; but his play impressed many scouts, which saw his stock rise up the draft rankings.
During that 7-month span, many scouts resorted to video to try to decipher what a players’ strengths and weaknesses were. What many discovered was the details to his game, especially in the defensive zone. He very rarely made a mistake, had a flawless first pass and could skate it out himself with ease.
While the draft was loaded with high end scoring forwards, Sanderson was hidden in the background with his technically sound play. Even though he was climbing up the ranks in the media, he still couldn’t get past the elite forwards on various mock drafts. Which takes us to the Senators, who happened to have two top five picks in 2020, at #3 and #5.
The unanimous pick at #3 was Tim Stutzle, a flashy forward with an elite offensive toolset. He could play center or wing, and many thought Ottawa would pick another forward at #5 to build the offensive core going forward. The Sens could have picked Cole Perfetti, Alexander Holtz, Anton Lundell, Marco Rossi or Jack Quinn amongst others.
All these forwards had top six potential, which fit with the likes of Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, and Drake Batherson. Based on positional need, the Sens didn’t seem to need a left shot defenseman with Thomas Chabot manning the first pairing and Erik Brannstrom soon to be NHL ready.
Yet, General Manager Pierre Dorion and Co. took Sanderson at #5.
Many were confused, because there was still so much talent available, but they went with the safe pick.
Heading into the 2020-21 season, Sanderson was set to play his freshman year at the University of North Dakota. Everyone knew his defense was going to be solid, but his offensive production was going to be under the microscope to really understand what type of player he would become.
In his first 13 games, he recorded 6 points. But, in his last 9 games he scored 9 points. He finished the season with 15 points in 22 games, pretty solid for a freshman defenseman. What was impressive was his +20 rating, having only had two games with a minus rating all season.
He could have signed his entry level contract after the 2020-21 NCAA season ended but decided to stick it out for another year with more responsibility. Senior Matt Kiersted and Sens prospect Jacob Bernard-Docker both left North Dakota for NHL opportunities. This opened up a spot for Sanderson not only to play more, but also develop his offensive game.
This move paid immediate dividends, especially in the long-term development for Jake Sanderson. He was an alternate captain and exceeded expectations with 26 points in 23 games. This was an MVP level performance, however he missed many games due to a series of injuries. He was the captain for Team USA at the World Junior Hockey Championship and played for team USA at the Olympics.
Since North Dakota lost in the NCAA Semifinals, it was now time for Sanderson to become an Ottawa Senator. Signing Sunday, he finished his Collegiate career with 41 points in 45 games. Those are very strong numbers, especially for a player that had offensive questions.
It’s important to note he doesn’t turn 20 until July, so expectations must be tempered. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s an NHL caliber defenseman once he steps in.
It’s unlikely he plays a game in the AHL, unless it’s in the playoffs. He has all the tools to step in and be a solid defenseman, who won’t need to survive NHL play. He can skate, he can hit, and he has the poise to not make pressure related mistakes. It also doesn’t hurt that his father, Geoff Sanderson, played over 1100 games in the NHL and can make the transition a little bit easier.
Scouts know Sanderson should be at least an NHL player, and is likely to begin his career as a top 4 defenseman. However, his offensive production in the NCAA makes one wonder, does he have elite potential?
He will have the ability to play over 25 minutes every game and will be responsible in his own end. But if he can produce 50-60 points a year, then he could pass Thomas Chabot on the depth chart, becoming the best defenseman on the Ottawa Senators blue line.
-Damian Smith
Twitter: @Damian__Smith
Photo: Jackmar1. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.