Ottawa Senators building an underrated defense after Sanderson signing

The Ottawa Senators signed defenseman Jake Sanderson to a contract extension yesterday to the tune of an 8-year deal, totaling $64.4 million, making him their highest-paid defenseman in terms of average annual value starting in the 2024-25 season.

The 6-foot-3 and 195-pound Sanderson is coming off his rookie year and that adds to what the Senators are building for the future.

Sanderson was drafted by Ottawa with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft and has blossomed into the player they thought he would eventually become.

Last season was his first in the NHL and he looked comfortable, posting 32 points (4-28) in 77 games, while blocking 147 shots and giving 43 hits.

The Ottawa Senators are lucky to have Jake Sanderson in the mix going forward.

His all-around game is something that the organization fell in love with and he is using those tools to his advantage, quickly becoming the Ottawa Senators best defensemen. He finished sixth in Calder Trophy voting last season.

Sanderson is adapting to the NHL game and is cementing himself as part of the future success of the Senators. However, he is not alone.

While Sanderson is the cornerstone of the franchise and not the defense, general manager Pierre Dorion is building a defense that could be the most underrated in the league.

The defense now consists of Sanderson (21), Thomas Chabot (26), Jakob Chychrun (25), Artem Zub (27), Erik Brannstrom (24), Travis Hamonic (33), and Jacob Bernard-Docker (23). This defense can hit and score with the best in the NHL and they are all in their prime.

The defense has it all. They can skate, they have size, play a physical brand of hockey, block shots, and create in the offensive zone.

The defense as a whole is relatively cheap as a group, coming in at a solid $22.03 million in AAV. While the team has some work to do at the forward position, the defensive core is set for the next 10-15 years.

Some good pieces on the back end to make this Ottawa Senators team competitive for the foreseeable future.

Not an overly physical player, Sanderson’s calling card is his offense. Throughout his career, the offense has been his go-to. He has been a half-a-point-per-game player for most of his career.

While Chabot is on the first unit, Sanderson can quarterback the second power-play unit with ease.

He is patient with the puck, can shoot for deflections, can win board battles if need be, and can use his body to clear the front of the net.

Ottawa is setting themselves up for success by building this team from the back. The defense is the heart and soul of this young Ottawa Senators team and one that is underrated.