Brady Tkachuk: Jake Sanderson Is Underrated
Jake Sanderson is coming off a really strong rookie campaign where he finished 6th in the Calder Cup voting. If you ask Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, he believes Sanderson is “the most underrated player” in the entire league.
Tkachuk recently appeared on a podcast and had super high praise for his teammate.
“I think (Sanderson’s) first pro season, what he did for our team and … right from Game 1, how much he made our team better, coming out of college,” Tkachuk said during a recent appearance on the “Dropping the Gloves” podcast. “The impact he had, the minutes he played, I just couldn’t believe he wasn’t even in the run for (the Calder Trophy).
“I was like, ‘This guy is one of the most important players on our team’ and it went unnoticed. His speed, his hockey sense, but his work ethic is second to none. I haven’t seen a guy work like he did throughout the year. It was quite impressive. … I’m excited to see what he’s going to do for us this year because he’s going to be an awesome player for us.”
Sanderson, 21, posted 32 points in 77 games for Ottawa a season ago. The Sens D-man has only scratched the surface of what he’s going to become. Based on the way Tkachuk is talking about him, maybe Sanderson is going to have a breakout season heading into the 2023-24 NHL Season.
For the record, I’m high on Sanderson as a fantasy hockey target this year. If you’re looking for a defenseman late in your draft, Sanderson is a great target. The only worry would be if Jakub Chycrun becomes the secondary powerplay guy behind Thomas Chabot.
The Senators have a real shot to make the playoffs this upcoming year. The progression of Sanderson will have a lot to do with it.
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