Jake Sanderson leaves Senators pre-season game vs. Canadiens as precaution

The Ottawa Senators opted for caution with one of their most important blueliners as they wrapped up their pre-season schedule. Defenceman Jake Sanderson left Saturday’s split-squad exhibition game against the Montreal Canadiens in Ottawa after the team described his removal as being for precautionary reasons.

Sanderson departed in the second period after making an impact early in the contest. He picked up an assist on a power-play goal by Drake Batherson before being shut down for the night. By the time he left, Sanderson had logged 13:22 of ice time, registered two shots on goal and delivered two hits.

Lingering injury leads Senators to play it safe

The Senators did not disclose what specifically forced Sanderson out of the game. However, he has recently been dealing with a nagging issue that kept him from skating with the team on certain days, prompting the club to err on the side of caution in their final tune-up before the regular season.

No timeline was offered for when Sanderson will be back at full participation, but the team’s description of his exit as precautionary suggests a management decision rather than confirmation of a major setback. At this stage of camp, NHL teams commonly prioritize long-term health over an extra period of pre-season action for core players.

Key defenceman’s status looms over season opener

Sanderson is coming off a productive 2025-26 campaign in which he posted 14 goals and 40 assists across 67 games, underscoring his importance at both ends of the ice. His role is central to how Ottawa wants to move the puck out of its zone and generate offence, particularly on the power play.

With the pre-season now in the books, Ottawa will turn its attention to next Saturday’s regular-season opener on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Whether Sanderson is fully ready for that matchup will be a key storyline for the Senators over the coming week as coaches and medical staff monitor how he responds.

For a team looking to start strongly in the standings, having its top defenceman healthy and available from Game 1 would be a significant boost. The Senators will hope that Saturday’s cautious decision helps ensure Sanderson can resume his usual workload when the games start to count.