Senators sign Jake Sanderson to 8-year, $64.4 million deal - ESPN
ESPN The Ottawa Senators added to their list of young cornerstones on long-term deals Wednesday by signing defenseman Jake Sanderson to an eight-year contract worth $8.05 million annually.
Sanderson, who was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in June, was entering the final year of his entry-level contract. The 21-year-old, who was the fifth pick of the 2020 NHL draft, left the University of North Dakota after his sophomore season and became one of the Senators' more consistent players in his rookie campaign this past season.
Sanderson finished with four goals and 32 points in 77 games and parlayed his two-way potential into showing he could be trusted in multiple situations. He was second on the team in average ice time at 21:55 per contest behind alternate captain and defenseman Thomas Chabot.
His impact was felt throughout the lineup, as he led the team in short-handed ice time at 252:36, according to Natural Stat Trick. He also was second on the team in 5-on-5 minutes and was second among defensemen in power-play ice time, with Chabot being first.
