History will show the Senators saved a ton of money by committing early and long-term to their two young stars from the 2020 NHL Draft.
When Ottawa Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion signed Tim Stutzle to an eight-year extension last summer with a year remaining on his entry-level contract, it seemed like a good piece of proactive business.
Unlike Alexis Lafreniere, who was drafted first overall at the 2020 NHL Draft or Quinton Byfield, who went number two, it was clear to everyone that, at number three, the Senators had landed a first-line player with a ton of upside.
However, after a 90-point season, 32 more than the season before, it was clear to everyone that the Senators had definitely saved some big money by signing Stutzle early. Had he waited, Stutzle clearly would have commanded more than the $8.35 million he signed for.
This week, it's hard not to think that Dorion just delivered the sequel to that story when he signed Sanderson to an eight-year extension. Sanderson went fifth in that same draft, which continues to look like the draft that changed the landscape of this franchise.
Some will look at the $8.05 million AAV and wonder how the Senators arrived at that number for a player with 77 games of NHL experience. He is now the highest-paid defenseman on the team ahead of Thomas Chabot by $50K. Granted, Chabot got his $8 million-a-year deal three years ago.
That’s a heavy burden that a lot of 21-year-olds wouldn’t be able to carry. Chabot has been carrying it since he got his deal and rumblings have already started about how his recent production hasn't been what it's needed to be.
But Sanderson is starting his journey with a much different outlook than Chabot. He's far more insulated and, if we're being honest, he provides a lot of insulation to others.
While many, including Sanderson, lauded Travis Hamonic for his veteran leadership and what he meant to Sanderson’s development. Hamonic himself acknowledged what Sanderson meant to him last season.
Coming out of North Dakota, where the game schedule isn’t nearly as rigorous as pro hockey, concerns were raised about whether Sanderson could handle the grind of an 82-game NHL schedule right away. There had already been some injuries at North Dakota, including one that led up to the start of last season.
Sanderson quelled those concerns by playing more games in one season than he had in the previous three while logging second most minutes played by NHL rookies and nearly 22 minutes per game.
He also finished a surprisingly low sixth in Calder voting.
Sanderson’s value was never more evident than when Chabot was out of the lineup due to injury. His minutes went up and his play did not waver.
Senators’ fans may be looking back at the Colin White contract and be wondering if they have paid merely for potential again rather than a known commodity. White got a six year contract and was bought out by Ottawa half way through the deal.
With White, the Senators thought they had something. With Sanderson and Stutzle, they know they have something.
The rest of the league knows it too and they're going to be spending the next nine years trying to figure out what to do about him.
In a division where teams like Buffalo and Detroit are making their push to shift the balance of power away from the Bruins, Lightning, Leafs and Panthers, this signing represents a Stutzle sequel and the next step toward a Stanley Cup parade.