When Jake Sanderson signed an 8-year, $64.4 million extension with the Ottawa Senators in September 2023, it raised eyebrows across the NHL – primarily outside of Ottawa. Critics questioned whether the young defenseman deserved such a big deal [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTP49YSbYw4] after only 77 games in the league. Mar 30, 2025: Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (85) skates up ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena (Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/15cead42-e425-4692-ab74-3e4a3f462cdd.jpeg] Mar 30, 2025: Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (85) skates up ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena (Imagn Images) With just four career goals and 32 points, some wondered how Sanderson could already be getting paid close to what superstar defenseman Cale Makar [https://puckpedia.com/player/cale-makar] makes with the Colorado Avalanche [https://puckpedia.com/team/colorado-avalanche]. This season, as that hefty new contract has kicked in, no one is talking in negative terms anymore. When former Senators GM Pierre Dorion signed Sanderson to that contract, there was already a lot to like about the player, in particular a powerful skating stride that serves him so well in both short and long races for the puck—often erasing the rookie mistakes he'd sometimes make. Dorion was banking on the belief that the next-level, higher-end offensive production, his one missing ingredient, would eventually come as he continued to get more comfortable in the league. He was right. So right. On Saturday night, Sanderson had a goal and an assist to help lead the Senators past the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers [https://puckpedia.com/team/florida-panthers], 3-0. That gave him 53 points on the season and briefly moved him into the top ten in NHL scoring among defensemen, one spot ahead of former Senator Erik Karlsson (Sanderson slipped to 11th later in the day). Drake Batherson joins the Sens Nation Podcast and describes the current playoff vibe in the city. This new spike of offence has been a nice add-on to all the other things Sanderson does well. For example, in the past two games, some of the moves and breakout passes Sanderson managed to pull off to get the Senators out of heavy forecheck trouble were truly outstanding. Sanderson now has 28 points in his past 28 games, a run that began in late January as we began to approach the NHL 4 Nations tournament. So he's almost doubled his points percentage (0.53) from the first 47 games this season, when he put up just 25 points. As the Sens stumbled into March on a five-game losing slide, Sanderson's breakout has been a game-changer in bolstering Ottawa’s playoff hopes. Back in early February, Sanderson foreshadowed his imminent improvements in a conversation with The Hockey News. "Yeah, at the start of season, I wasn't feeling myself," Sanderson said. "Right now, I feel pretty good. My energy is really good on the ice. I haven't scored in a while, but I'm getting a lot of chances, and that's all I can ask for. So, you know, they're gonna go in eventually." Perhaps being talked about for a best-on-best tournament and then actually playing in it isn't bad for a 22-year-old's confidence. Sanderson described the 4 Nations experience as "life-changing," and maybe sometime this summer, he'll have a chance to reflect on individual accomplishments. But right now, he's all about helping the team get to the playoffs. "We're confident where we are right now," Sanderson told the media last week. "We know we're playing good hockey. So at the end of the day, if we're losing, honestly, we're just beating ourselves. But yeah, like I said, we feel pretty confident right now." Even with the full focus on the team at the moment, the way Sanderson is playing now makes it impossible not to notice the individual excellence. In Saturday's victory over Florida, Sanderson even made a little history, becoming the first defenseman in Ottawa Senators [https://puckpedia.com/team/ottawa-senators] history with a four-game home goal streak. With Sanderson not even through the first year of his contract and now locked up in Ottawa until 2032, his deal is already highly club-friendly. Based on the way the past two months have gone, we're betting it won't be much longer before it's regarded as one of the very best contracts in the NHL. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sens Headlines: One On One: GM Steve Staios' Additions Help To Reset The Ottawa Senators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/season-seat-member-qa-sance-de-questions-et-rponses-pour-les-membres-abonns] What's Going On With The Injury To Brady Tkachuk? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/will-the-ottawa-senators-have-to-push-for-a-playoff-spot-without-brady-tkachuk] Battle of Ontario: Debating Who Would Win A Senators-Leafs Playoff Series [https://senatorsaggr.com/go/41861] North Dakota Fires Brad Berry, Unofficial Member of Ottawa's Player Development Team [https://senatorsaggr.com/go/41550]
