Jake
Sanderson
D · OTT · Two-way · Elite
- PAL
- 98
- WAR
- 3.1
- Value
- 99
- PTS
- 54
2025-26№ 6 / 325
Jake Sanderson (Ottawa Senators) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Jake Sanderson
#85D
Ottawa Senators
HEIGHT : 188 cm · WEIGHT : 92 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : July 7, 2002 · Whitefish, United States
Drafted : 2020 · OTT · round 1, pick #5
Contract : $8,050,000 · 2024-25 → 2031-32 · Standard Contract (Extension) · UFAM-NTC
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Ottawa Senators | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 4 |
| 2025-26 | Ottawa Senators | 67 | 14 | 40 | 54 | 8 |
| 2024-25 | Ottawa Senators | 80 | 11 | 46 | 57 | 12 |
| 2023-24 | Ottawa Senators | 79 | 10 | 28 | 38 | 23 |
| 2022-23 | Ottawa Senators | 77 | 4 | 28 | 32 | 12 |
| NHL totals | 313 | 40 | 151 | 191 | 59 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Ottawa Senators | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | Ottawa Senators | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Playoff totals | 9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | |
Jake Sanderson: our analysis
2025-26 season: 67 GP, 14 G, 40 A, 54 PTS, +16 +/-, 24:50 TOI. WAR 3.1 (6th of 325) · PAL 98, elite.
In 2025-26, Jake Sanderson, 24, posts a PAL Rating of 98 out of 100 (elite), and his WAR of 3.1 ranks 6th among 325 regulars, among the league's elite.
His strengths: penalty kill (98, among the best in the league), possession (97, among the best in the league) and shooting (95, among the best in the league).
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: finishing (+5.1); his biggest cost: power play (-0.7).
A season in line with 2024-25 (PAL of 97); his WAR went from 2.5 to 3.1.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 99 (exceptional value) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Jake Sanderson's story
Growing up in a hockey family, Jake Sanderson moved with his parents and brothers as his father pursued a professional career, spending childhood years in places such as Phoenix, Buffalo and Columbus after being born in Whitefish, Montana. He learned the basics with Glacier Avalanche alongside his brother Ben, then relocated to Calgary at 12. Initially curious about goaltending, he soon focused on skating, toggled between forward and defense in his youth and settled as a full-time defenseman at 14; he holds both U.S. and Canadian citizenship.
In Alberta he skated for Springbank Rockies programs, the Calgary Bantam AAA Flames and the Edge School before opting to protect NCAA eligibility despite being picked in the WHL draft by Kootenay Ice. Joining the U.S. National Development Program, he posted 29 points in 47 games in his final USNTDP season and rose into the upper ranks of Central Scouting’s North American list, earning the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year award prior to the NHL draft.
Selected fifth overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2020, Sanderson began his college career at the University of North Dakota for 2020–21, balancing studies in kinesiology with hockey. He finished his rookie collegiate campaign with 15 points in 22 games and multiple NCHC honours. After his sophomore year he signed a three-year entry-level contract with Ottawa on 27 March 2022 and left the NCAA to turn pro.
Sanderson made his NHL debut in October and scored his first NHL goal on 23 November 2022 against the Vegas Golden Knights. He tallied 32 points in 77 games in 2022–23 and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. Ottawa rewarded him with an eight-year, $64.4-million extension on 6 September 2023. He continued to increase his offensive footprint the following seasons, reaching new career highs and playing key roles in Ottawa’s return to the playoffs in 2025.
On the international stage Sanderson represents the United States. He played a major role in the 2021 World Junior Championship gold run, served as captain for the 2022 U20 squad and later appeared at the 2022 Winter Olympics. His profile is that of a composed, dependable defenseman who eats significant minutes, moves the puck cleanly out of danger and contributes secondary offence while maintaining defensive structure.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 22:45
- PP TOI/GP
- 2:56
- SH TOI/GP
- 2:36
- Pts/GP
- 1.00
- EV points
- 9
- Hits
- 7
- Blocks
- 14
- Takeaways
- 2
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 52.8 %
- Off. zone starts
- 30.5 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
78between 52 and 95 (80% range)
- Goals
- 18
- Assists
- 60
- Games
- 91
So far: 10 pts in 10 games. The team has played 0 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.84 pts per game (last season: 0.81).
Three straight seasons of growth. Since 2018, of 97 players in that spot, 23 kept improving the next season; on average, their pace fell back to 90% of their best season.
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
Trend
Slightly up
- Points per game: 0.48 in 23-24, 0.81 in 25-26
- PAL Rating: 97 → 98
Outlook, age included
↑ Trending upAge 24: usually still improving
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 87 %
98
NHL elite
- SK
- Skating
- 97
- Confidence 73 %
- ST
- Strength
- 77
- Confidence 89 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 87
- Confidence 80 %
- DU
- Durability
- 80
- Confidence 73 %
- CK
- Checking
- 60
- Confidence 89 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 69
- Confidence 65 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 92
- Confidence 89 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 87
- Confidence 87 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 87
- Confidence 87 %
- DF
- Defense
- 90
- Confidence 85 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 69
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating97
- Top speed (35 %)37.7 · 98
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)6.056 · 97
- Distance /60 (20 %)14.2 · 77
- Speed consistency (15 %)36.7 · 97
ST — Strength77
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)5.78 · 80
- Body mass (50 %)0.089 · 72
EN — Endurance87
- Ice time per game (45 %)22.3 · 88
- Total ice time (20 %)1,596 · 80
- Shift length (15 %)47.4 · 75
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)20.7 · 87
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)5.227 · 97
DU — Durability80
- Share of games played (100 %)0.85 · 80
CK — Checking60
- Hits /60 (70 %)1.605 · 60
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)1.485 · 62
- Season volume (10 %)3.401 · 67
FG — Fighting69
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.741 · 69
DI — Discipline92
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)0.014 · 92
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.264 · 97
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.346 · 71
PA — Passing87
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.563 · 86
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.736 · 89
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.06 · 81
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)5.614 · 90
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.372 · 85
SC — Scoring87
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.393 · 88
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.297 · 86
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.681 · 89
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.174 · 85
- xG per shot (10 %)0.036 · 81
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)12.7 · 86
DF — Defense90
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.175 · 90
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.15 · 85
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.348 · 92
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.153 · 86
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.667 · 81
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)54.6 · 90
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)4.941 · 80
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience69
- Career regular-season games (65 %)81
- Career playoff games (25 %)43
- NHL seasons (10 %)55
OV — Overall98
- DF · Defense (30 %)90
- PA · Passing (22 %)87
- SK · Skating (12 %)97
- SC · Scoring (12 %)87
- EN · Endurance (9 %)87
- ST · Strength (6 %)77
- DI · Discipline (5 %)92
- CK · Checking (4 %)60
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 98 | 97 | 87 | 90 |
| 2024-25 | 96 | 97 | 83 | 89 |
| 2023-24 | 91 | 97 | 81 | 84 |
| 2022-23 | 87 | 93 | 70 | 78 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
3.1
wins above replacement
6 of 325
PAL Rating
98/ 100
Performance · Elite
6 of 250 at the position
Value Rating
99/ 100
Exceptional value
8.05 M$ · expected PAL 72
ProfileTwo-wayStrong at both ends
- Offense
- 93
- Defense
- 97
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 94
- Creation
- 91
- Shooting
- 95
- Possession
- 97
- Defense
- 94
- Discipline
- 92
- Power play
- 85
- Penalty kill
- 98
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
| Season | Team | WAR | PAL | Value | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | OTT | 3.1 | 98 | 99 | 8.05 M$ |
| 2024-25 | OTT | 2.5 | 97 | 94 | 8.05 M$ |
| 2023-24 | OTT | 1.7 | 93 | 98 | 0.93 M$ |
| 2022-23 | OTT | 1.0 | 82 | 88 | 0.93 M$ |
Hockey IQ, 2025-26
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
97/ 100
Elite
better than 97% of defensemen, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
88/ 100
Very good
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
97/ 100
Elite
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Overall IQ isn't an average of the two scores: it's the player's rank with offense and defense combined, 6 of 225 defensemen.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 87
- Shot selection
- 76
- Penalties drawn
- 62
- Puck management
- 87
Defense
- Takeaways
- 89
- Discipline
- 97
- Safe zone exits
- 71
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
| Season | Team | IQ | Off. | Def. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | OTT | 97 | 88 | 97 |
| 2024-25 | OTT | 89 | 48 | 97 |
| 2023-24 | OTT | 72 | 49 | 82 |
| 2022-23 | OTT | 95 | 91 | 88 |
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
3.1
wins above replacement
2.1 to 4.6 — 90% interval
6 of 325 defensemen
+16.3 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- +1.9
- EV defense
- +4.5
- Power play
- -0.7
- Penalty kill
- +1.1
- Shooting
- +5.1
- Penalties
- +1.0
- Average → replacement
- +3.4
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | OTT | 67 | 3.1 | 2.1 to 4.6 | 6/325 |
| 2024-25 | OTT | 77 | 2.5 | 1.5 to 3.9 | 11/314 |
| 2023-24 | OTT | 79 | 1.7 | 0.7 to 3.2 | 21/316 |
| 2022-23 | OTT | 77 | 1.0 | -0.3 to 1.9 | 53/334 |
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 149.2 km/h79th percentileleague avg. 139.7 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 35.8 km/h88th percentileleague avg. 34.0 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 2091st percentileleague avg. 8
- Offensive zone time
- 44.4 %85th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 51.8 km42nd percentileleague avg. 56.1 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 6.35 km89th percentileleague avg. 4.98 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 43.8 %77th percentileleague avg. 42.8 %
- Neutral zone time
- 17.1 %10th percentileleague avg. 16.9 %
- Defensive zone time
- 38.5 %77th percentileleague avg. 40.8 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 1659th percentile | 172nd percentile | 6.3 %56th percentile |
| High danger | 287th percentile | 198th percentile | 50.0 %91st percentile |
| Mid range | 579th percentile | 073rd percentile | 0.0 %50th percentile |
| Long range | 651st percentile | 077th percentile | 0.0 %67th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
UTA
BUF
ANA
SJS
LAK
VGK
NYR
FLA
TORJake Sanderson: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Jake Sanderson have in 2026-27?
Jake Sanderson has 1 goal and 10 points (9 assists) in 10 games in 2026-27.
How old is Jake Sanderson?
Jake Sanderson is 24 years old: he was born on July 8, 2002.
How tall is Jake Sanderson, and how much does he weigh?
Jake Sanderson is 6'2" (188 cm) and weighs 203 lb (92 kg).
Where is Jake Sanderson from?
United States: Jake Sanderson was born in Whitefish, Montana, United States.
What team does Jake Sanderson play for?
Jake Sanderson plays for the Ottawa Senators in the NHL, at D, wearing number 85.
Is Jake Sanderson injured?
No: Jake Sanderson is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Jake Sanderson?
Jake Sanderson produced 3.1 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 6th of 325 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 98 out of 100: elite for his position.
How much does Jake Sanderson make?
Jake Sanderson earns $8.1M for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 99 out of 100 (exceptional value): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Jake Sanderson's contract end?
Jake Sanderson's contract runs through the 2031-32 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent. It includes a M-NTC clause.
Is Jake Sanderson overpaid?
No, he gives more than he costs. His Value rating is 99 out of 100 (exceptional value), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Jake Sanderson a top-10 player at his position?
Yes: by WAR, he ranks 6th of 325 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
Is Jake Sanderson getting better?
He is holding steady: his PAL rating went from 97 in 2024-25 to 98 in 2025-26 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
How has Jake Sanderson played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Jake Sanderson has 10 points (1 goal, 9 assists).
What are Jake Sanderson's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Jake Sanderson has 313 games, 40 goals, 151 assists and 191 points. His best season: 2024-25, with 57 points in 80 games.
Where was Jake Sanderson drafted?
Jake Sanderson was drafted 5th overall (round 1) by Ottawa Senators in 2020.
How does Jake Sanderson perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Jake Sanderson has 9 games and 5 points in his career. His pace (0.56 points per game) is similar to his regular-season pace (0.61).
Which player is most similar to Jake Sanderson?
Jackson LaCombe: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Jackson LaCombe's page →Is Jake Sanderson a good fantasy pick?
Yes, a solid pick: our projection has him at 78 points in 2026-27, or 0.86 points per game.
Does Jake Sanderson have siblings?
Yes: his brother Ben Sanderson (committed to play ice hockey at Colorado College), his younger brother Sawyer Sanderson (played AA hockey).
Is Jake Sanderson related to anyone famous?
Yes: Geoff Sanderson (father, former National Hockey League forward); Guy (Sanderson) (uncle, played for Clarkson University); Wade Brookbank (father's cousin, played in the NHL); Sheldon Brookbank (father's cousin, played in the NHL).
What is Jake Sanderson's nationality?
Jake Sanderson is American and Canadian. Internationally: United States — gold medal at the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
What awards has Jake Sanderson won?
Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award (2020) ; All-NCHC Rookie Team (2020–21) ; NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete (2020–21) ; All-NCHC Academic Team (2020–21) ; NCHC Preseason All-Conference Team (2021) ; NHL All-Rookie Team (2022–23) ; Lady Byng Trophy finalist (2026).
How many championships has Jake Sanderson won?
1: World Junior Ice Hockey Championships — gold with Team USA (2021).
Where did Jake Sanderson play before turning pro?
Springbank Rockies, Calgary Bantam AAA Flames, Edge School Mountaineers Elite 15s; U.S. National Team Development Program; University of North Dakota (joined for the 2020–21 season, completed sophomore season before signing in 2022).
How many points is Jake Sanderson projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 78 points in 91 games in 2026-27 (52 to 95 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Ottawa Senators teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)