Team USA has injury concerns on the blue line right now, and Sanderson would be a perfect replacement.
Back in October, during the early days of the NHL season, it was easy to suggest that Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson might be in the mix for a Team USA roster spot for the 4 Nations Faceoff. And when he posted seven points in his first five games, it seemed like he was well on his way.
However, when injuries hit Ottawa's blue line, Sanderson's production and confidence seemed to dip on both sides of the puck. Often paired with a 6-7 defenseman, Sanderson was tasked with doing his job and maybe a little bit of his partner's, too.
These days, with Artem Zub back at his side, Sanderson has stepped things up in a big way. The 22-year-old has 10 points in his last six games and looks as confident and poised as he ever has.
And Sanderson is easily one of the fastest defenseman in the game. In the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, Tim Stützle gave the puck away in the offensive zone near the right point, setting Lightning star Nikita Kucherov off on an apparent breakaway. But Sanderson, stationed on the left point, sprinted back to help and caught Kucherov before he could get a shot off.
This is a young, left-shot American defenseman who's firing on all cylinders again, and it wouldn't be a shock if he still gets a call to represent his country as a replacement at next week's 4 Nations Faceoff.
That possibility may hinge on the injury status of Vancouver Canucks star Quinn Hughes. If he can't go, and America decides to replace him with another offensively-skilled left shot defenceman, Sanderson should be right at the top of their wish list.
On Thursday night, Hughes will miss his third consecutive game due to injury. Team USA is still holding out hope that Hughes will be able to join them, but with only one game remaining before the tournament, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet remains uncertain about Hughes' participation in the 4 Nations. That said, Tocchet has no issue stepping into the role of the "bad guy" if necessary.
“I know Quinn is a USA guy," Tocchet told NHL.com. "He loves his country. Playing with his brother, there’s a lot of positives to that, but he’s a smart kid, too. He understands what’s at stake.
"It depends on how close he is to playing on Saturday. That’s what it comes down to."
If Hughes can't go (or isn’t allowed to), Sanderson would seem like the perfect replacement. They're both left-shot defensemen, fabulous skaters, and their forte is creating offense from the back end. Additionally, Sanderson is on a hot streak and he's healthy.
He may not be Hughes (at least not yet), but if he gets the chance, Jake Sanderson might just be ready to do a pretty decent impression of him next week.
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