Ottawa Senator fans, it’s still only August, so let’s sit back for a minute, and really appreciate the superstar in the making that is, Jake Sanderson. After being named to Team USA’s Olympic orientation camp roster, and other recent social media hype, Sanderson is being recognized league-wide as a star. As a Sen fan, we know this all to well, but just how good is he.
Jake Sanderson, the Star of the Ottawa Senators Blueline
Jake Sanderson is the son of Hay River, Northwest Territories product Geoff Sanderson. He was a six-time, 30-goal scorer in the NHL. The elder Sanderson could fly down the wing, causing havoc on the defence and tendies. Perhaps that is how the younger, Jake, learned how to close the gap, using tremendous leg strength. Never feeling like he is out of position, and being able to turn the play around with explosive acceleration. Jake is a treat to watch, just like his dad before him.
Sanderson is about to enter his fourth NHL season in 2025-26, and still just 23-years-old. That was after spending two seasons at the apparent Sens feeder program, the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Furthermore, he has received numerous individual accolades. That includes being on the NCAA (West) First All-American Team (2022), and the NHL’s 2023 All-Rookie Team.
After rounding out his game in his first two NHL seasons, he really popped off in 2024-25. Moreover, he had securely replaced Thomas Chabot on the Sens top power play unit. That allowed him to record career highs in goals (11), assists (46), points (57), regular season games played (80), average ice time (24:27), need we say more? He was even tenth in voting for each of the Lady Byng and Norris Trophies. It’s not hard to tell he was on the verge of a major breakout. As the new season is upon us, Sanderson’s potential breakout is one that seems to be coming to fruition right before our very eyes. That is, to take the step to the very elite of his position.
Photo Credit: https://moneypuck.com/stats.htm
Taking a Look at the Numbers
To appreciate Sanderson analytically, you have to consider the big picture. For example, across all situations, his defensive zone start percentage was second on the Sens at 17.6%. His usual partner, Artem Zub, was the leader at 17.9%. However, for Sanderson, no one league-wide had more points than him that had a higher defensive zone start percentage. Sanderson also led his team in offensive zone start percentage at 13.4%. The dude was a horse, and performed under the highest possible pressure situations with ease. If you compare with some of the NHL leaders, guys like Cale Makar and Adam Fox had a oSZ% above 20%. Sanderson was ranked 40th in oSZ%, but was around the top ten in assists (including primary ones) and points for defencemen.
It is interesting that Sanderson is not necessarily an analytic darling. Why? Because of that very high dSZ%. However, his 163 blocked shots had him 16th in the NHL among d-men. Furthermore, there are none of those other offensive guys near him in that ranking. So, if we are looking at a more analytic pleasing metric, such as relative expected goals percentage, even though Sanderson’s 1.4% had him leading the Sens (Chabot was second at 1.2%), the league leader, Quinn Hughes, was up at 22.8%. Many of the big offensive defencemen are among these leaders, as Evan Bouchard was second at 17.2%. Even Lane Hutson was sixth at 13.4%. In contrast, the idea is that those guys have no where near Sandy’s dSZ%.
How About Jake Sanderson and His Senators Defensive Partner
The next thing to consider is stats on defensive pairings. The combo of Zub and Sanderson is able to overcome the high dSZ% and still be one of the better pairings analytically. If we filter on defensive pairings that played 400 minutes or more, their expected goals percentage was 56.3%. That was good enough for 13th in the NHL, and one spot ahead of Makar and Devon Toews (55.9%). Also, you would want to take into account, that some of those pairings ahead of them, aren’t necessarily their respective teams’ top pairing. Therefore, they wouldn’t necessarily see top matchups, unlike Zub and Sanderson, who certainly matchup against opponents’ top offensive lines.
So, what are we saying at all, really. Basically, Sanderson, and his partner Zub, are put in all the high-leverage situations. Although, it is worth noting for Zub’s sake, that he misses out on many of the offensive opportunities. That is because Sanderson starts most of the team’s power plays as the only natural defenceman. But once the puck drops, if it is in the d-zone, Sanderson and Zub quickly and efficiently cut down lanes, block shots, and get possession. Then, they go on the attack. With speed like Sanderson possesses, he can take the puck deep, himself if required. Or he can snap one over to Zub for a breakout play.
These are all elements of what make for a great player, like Sanderson, and a great total team defensive unit. Make no mistake, the Sens defence is a strength. They are going to make a run at the playoffs, just like last year. And, just like last year, Jake Sanderson will be their undisputed leader on the backend.
Main Photo Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
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