The Ottawa Senators have signed defenceman Jake Sanderson to a three-year, entry-level contract on Sunday. Sanderson will join the Senators immediately.
"We're very pleased to get Jake under contract," said Senators GM Pierre Dorion in a statement. "An important cog to our future on defence, Jake is an effortless skater who possesses all the tools to be a complete NHL defenceman. 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 completed his sophomore year at the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks after getting knocked out of the NCAA men's hockey tournament by Notre Dame on Thursday. The 19-year-old picked up eight goals and 18 assists in 23 games in the 2021-22 season.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft was also part of the US men's hockey team at the Beijing Olympic Games. Sanderson played one game before being sidelined with an upper-body injury.
