The 19-year-old defenseman, who was selected with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is currently recovering from a hand injury but could make his debut within the month after joining the Senators this week.
"We're very pleased to get Jake under contract," Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion said. "An important cog to our future on defense, Jake is an effortless skater who possesses all the tools to be a complete NHL defenseman. A mature leader despite his young age, he played big minutes in college with a blend of poise and confidence. While he still has progress to make in overcoming a current injury, we are hopeful of seeing him in our lineup before the end of the season.'
Sanderson recently completed his sophomore season with the University of North Dakota, leading its defensemen in scoring with 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) despite only playing in 23 of 39 games. In two seasons with North Dakota, he scored 41 points (10 goals, 31 assists) in 45 games.
"Obviously really exciting from all accounts," Senators coach D.J. Smith said Monday. "I've watched him plenty. one of the best, if not right now the best prospect outside the NHL maybe. So certainly an exciting time. It's going to take time, but I think he's going to be a special player."
A native of Whitefish, Montana, Sanderson helped the United States win the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship and played one game in the 2022 WJC before the tournament was postponed due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He also played one game at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
