Jake Sanderson’s night ended early in Ottawa’s season opener, and the Senators are now waiting on more information after the defenceman left with a lower-body injury Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Sanderson was on the ice for just 4:29 across six shifts before heading to the dressing room in the first period. In that short stint, he blocked a shot and delivered one hit. His exit came after he got tangled up with Maple Leafs forward Nick Paul and crashed into the boards.
The Senators still came away with a 3-2 win, their first victory of the season, but the concern now shifts to Sanderson’s status. Head coach Travis Green said after the game that the injury was a re-aggravation of a previous lower-body issue, and Ottawa will evaluate him as it prepares for a road back-to-back against the Boston Bruins on Monday and the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
“We’ll know more in the next few days,” Green said after the game. “Sandy was smart enough to pull himself out early enough that he didn’t re-aggravate it too badly. He just felt it was coming and took himself out.”
The setback is especially notable because Sanderson had already been managing an undisclosed injury through training camp, which limited him to just one period in the preseason. The 6-foot-2, left-shot blueliner was one of Ottawa’s most important defencemen last season, putting up 14 goals and 54 points in 67 games while ranking ninth in the NHL in average ice time at 24:50.
He also added two assists in three playoff games before the Senators were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Sanderson, a native of Whitefish, Mont., also helped the United States win gold at Milano Cortina 2026, the country’s first victory since 1980.
Ottawa finished fifth in the Atlantic Division last season with a 44-27-11 record, good for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
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Senators Just Created A New Question On Defense
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Donovans recall also adds another layer to a roster picture that is still in motion, with injured players working their way back and Ridly Greig close to returning from suspension. For Ottawa, the next move may not be the last one, as the club keeps sorting out how to patch the blue line now while leaving room for whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]