Sanderson was one of the three finalists for the Lady Byng, but that was as close as he would get.
One of the few Ottawa Senators up for an NHL award this season was Jake Sanderson. He was named as one of the finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, so we knew he would finish no worse than third in voting for the award.
On Friday, wait for it, the NHL announced Sanderson finished third.
The winner was Montreal's Cole Caufield, while the runner-up was Anze Kopitar. Kopitar, who retired at the end of the Los Angeles Kings' season, was the sentimental favourite as a result.
The trophy goes to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.
Sanderson was one of the top defensemen in the league this season, putting up 54 points in 67 games, finishing 10th in Norris Trophy voting, and helping Team USA win an Olympic gold medal in Milan back in February.
The Whitefish, Montana native plays a clean game with speed and skill, posting just eight penalty minutes all season. In four NHL seasons (303 games), Sanderson has amassed a total of 55 penalty minutes
Sanderson wasn't exactly rewarded for his sportsmanship this season.
In early March, he missed nearly a month after absorbing a heavy hit from Seattle's Brandon Montour that resulted in a shoulder injury. Then, just eight games after returning, Sanderson's season came to an abrupt end when Carolina's Taylor Hall caught him with a high shoulder in Game 3 of Ottawa's first-round playoff series.
The hit left Sanderson with a concussion, forcing him to miss the remainder of the series as the Senators were swept in four games. Four days later, he was still unable to participate in the team's season-ending media availability.
Fortunately for Ottawa, there are no immediate contract concerns on the horizon. While speculation continues to swirl around the future of other players, Sanderson remains under contract for six more seasons at a cap hit of $8.05 million per year, a deal that already looks like one of the NHL's best bargains.
At just 23, Sanderson has established himself as one of the league's elite young defencemen. If his game continues to improve, and no one in Ottawa thinks it won't, then finishing third in Lady Byng voting will likely be one of the smaller accomplishments in a very long list of NHL honours.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For more THN Ottawa articles, click one of the latest stories below: