OTTAWA — Over the weekend, Ottawa Senators fans cheered for “Playoffs!” after two shutout wins. Playoff dreams are becoming real.
The Senators have been slowly improving, becoming a strong playoff team. Jake Sanderson, 22, represents this progress perfectly.
Sanderson was always a good defender, but this season his offense is much better. He`s scoring more points than ever and might get the most points for a Senators defenseman since Erik Karlsson. This is impressive for a player who is known for his defense first.
This is why Sanderson should be considered for the Norris Trophy. As the Senators get ready for the playoffs, they could have the best defenseman in any series they play.
Coach Travis Green said about Sanderson, “Some players you just let develop. You don’t coach them too much. You watch them get better. His game is growing. It’s great to see him improve. We are lucky to have him.”
The Norris Trophy competition is tough this year with players like Cale Makar, Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, and Jakob Chychrun playing very well. But Sanderson also has a strong argument.
Here’s why Sanderson should be considered.
Sanderson said he had a “slow start” to the season. One reason was he didn`t have a consistent defensive partner. Artem Zub was hurt, so Travis Hamonic played with Sanderson, which made things harder. Sanderson scored only one goal in his first 28 games and has a minus-13 rating for the season, with 11 of those negative points happening when he played with Hamonic.
But Sanderson worked to improve. In November, he hired skills coach Jonathan Sigalet. After this, the Senators started playing much better, with a 10-2-1 record from late November to mid-December.
When Zub came back in January, Sanderson’s game really improved. Since January 17, Sanderson has the second-most points among NHL defensemen, only behind Cale Makar. He has 30 points in 32 games since then and is now 10th in scoring among defensemen.
It’s about how you finish, not just how you start.
