Prospect Info: Jake Sanderson 5th Overall

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

Great video. So good defensively. Not a lot of offensive highlights in there, but I get that wasn't his role in this tournament. I really hope his offensive game comes along in NCAA. At the 0:37 mark he has a chance but could of done a lot more. Plays like the one at 2:22 is what I want to see more of, where he uses his big frame to take the puck to the net.

 

[Alfie11]

Didn't see it in the video but I loved his near miss on a hit in the Sweden game. He almost caught a guy trying to circle behind the net with his head down. Sanderson caught the boards but he was coming. Chris Neil style, hitting to hurt. Having high level ability but also some viciousness in the physical game is rare.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Great video. So good defensively. Not a lot of offensive highlights in there, but I get that wasn't his role in this tournament. I really hope his offensive game comes along in NCAA. At the 0:37 mark he has a chance but could of done a lot more. Plays like the one at 2:22 is what I want to see more of, where he uses his big frame to take the puck to the net.

He is very solid offensively he just isn't flashy.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Didn't see it in the video but I loved his near miss on a hit in the Sweden game. He almost caught a guy trying to circle behind the net with his head down. Sanderson caught the boards but he was coming. Chris Neil style, hitting to hurt. Having high level ability but also some viciousness in the physical game is rare.

This is the play you are referring to:

 

[Micklebot]

Pretty sure they included the breakaway pass that wasnt actually from Sanderson in that montage, but otherwise really nice stuff.

 

[InTkachukWeTrust]

Didn’t realize how dominant Sanderson was this tournament. He’s a very good all around player. Will be nice to have chabot and him locking down our LD position for a long time.

 

[BondraTime]

This is the play you are referring to:

I think the play he’s taking about was on Broberg behind the net against Sweden.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

I think the play he’s taking about was on Broberg behind the net against Sweden.

Oh...I must have missed that one. Thanks for clarifying. With that said Sanderson started to up the physicality by the end of the tournament. He is kind of like the way Trent Mann described him of having notable traits of a lot of different kinds of d men. It is a very rare for a player to have his defensive ability, plus the physicality, plus the skating, plus the high hockey iq, plus the poise, plus the offensive skills all with solid size.

 

[Sens in Process]

Great Video. You can see there is so much raw and untapped potential. As another poster has mentioned, Drysdale is more of a finished product. If we are patient and he manages to put it all together, he will be one hell of player.

 

[Korpse]

He is very solid offensively he just isn't flashy.

Yup. I don't understand the questions about his offensive ability at this point. Tremendous skater, very poised with the puck, deceptive, good puck mover. I guess he doesn't toe drag enough? Which I'd argue is probably a positive, his offensive game isn't dependent on high risk maneuvers which rarely translate to the pro level. He grew up essentially being coached by a former pro player so it makes sense, his style is one that is modelled around aspects that will make him an effective player at the professional level. It's the same story with Brady, some have the belief that his hands aren't good, meanwhile he has phenomenal puck skills. He doesn't use them to go through players, he uses them to control the puck in important areas of the ice like in front of the net or along the boards.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Yup. I don't understand the questions about his offensive ability at this point. Tremendous skater, very poised with the puck, deceptive, good puck mover. I guess he doesn't toe drag enough? Which I'd argue is probably a positive, his offensive game isn't dependent on high risk maneuvers which rarely translate to the pro level. He grew up essentially being coached by a former pro player so it makes sense, his style is one that is modelled around aspects that will make him an effective player at the professional level. It's the same story with Brady, some have the belief that his hands aren't good, meanwhile he has phenomenal puck skills. He doesn't use them to go through players, he uses them to control the puck in important areas of the ice like in front of the net or along the boards.

There's questions about his offensive ability because he showed very little offensive ability at the WJC. Part of that was his role playing on the shutdown pairing with Helleson, part of it was a lack of confidence to rush the puck and jump into the play as an 18YR old, but part of it was also that his lack of high-end puck-handling ability was apparent, especially against better teams when he had little time and space.

There are valid concerns about his hands, just like there were about Brady, who is absolutely not a phenomenal puckhandler. Have no idea how you'd come to that conclusion watching him the past two seasons. There's also little hope that either will get significantly better at handling the puck. You can't teach talent and if they don't have the puck on a string after 10-15 years of training by professionals and skills coaches (benefits of being an NHL player's son), it's highly unlikely that's going to change now.

If Sanderson had high-end talent on top of all his other assets he would have been our pick at #3 instead of Stuetzle. He's not perfect. There are legitimate concerns about how well his offensive game will flourish at the NHL level, but that doesn't mean he's a bad pick at 5.

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

There's questions about his offensive ability because he showed very little offensive ability at the WJC. Part of that was his role playing on the shutdown pairing with Helleson, part of it was a lack of confidence to rush the puck and jump into the play as an 18YR old, but part of it was also that his lack of high-end puck-handling ability was apparent, especially against better teams when he had little time and space.

There are valid concerns about his hands, just like there were about Brady, who is absolutely not a phenomenal puckhandler. Have no idea how you'd come to that conclusion watching him the past two seasons. There's also little hope that either will get significantly better at handling the puck. You can't teach talent and if they don't have the puck on a string after 10-15 years of training by professionals and skills coaches (benefits of being an NHL player's son), it's highly unlikely that's going to change now.

If Sanderson had high-end talent on top of all his other assets he would have been our pick at #3 instead of Stuetzle. He's not perfect. There are legitimate concerns about how well his offensive game will flourish at the NHL level, but that doesn't mean he's a bad pick at 5.

Ya he finished the tournament with 2 assists and a handful of shots on nets. It’s tough to project how much offence he’ll bring at the NHL level.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Ya he finished the tournament with 2 assists and a handful of shots on nets. It’s tough to project how much offence he’ll bring at the NHL level.

It’s not THAT tough. The odds of him being a big point producer are slim. It’s just not his thing. It wasn’t his thing in leagues where he was far superior to everyone around him. It’s * probably* not going to be his game in the best league in the world.

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

It’s not THAT tough. The odds of him being a big point producer are slim. It’s just not his thing. It wasn’t his thing in leagues where he was far superior to everyone around him. It’s * probably* not going to be his game in the best league in the world.

Will he be a consistent 30-40 point defenceman? He’ll rack up a decent amount of assists with his breakout passes alone.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Ya he finished the tournament with 2 assists and a handful of shots on nets. It’s tough to project how much offence he’ll bring at the NHL level.

The exact same production as Jamie Drysdale. Do people have the same concerns about Drysdale's offensive upside at the NHL level?

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

The exact same production as Jamie Drysdale. Do people have the same concerns about Drysdale's offensive upside at the NHL level?

I’m not sure. I watched every shift of Sanderson’s in the tourney, and only some of Drysdales. I know a lot of the fan base has pimping Drysdale’s tires because they think he has more offensive upside, but I am very happy with taking Sanderson at 5.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Disappointed they don't have Sanderson's best shift in the tournament against the Russians I believe. Where he made a perfect bank breakaway pass from his own blue line off the face off, then he follow it with a shot off the post and excellent defensive break-up with ease in the same shift.

The exact same production as Jamie Drysdale. Do people have the same concerns about Drysdale's offensive upside at the NHL level?

What about Quinn Hughes?

2 points in 7 games too... as a 19 year old.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I’m not sure. I watched every shift of Sanderson’s in the tourney, and only some of Drysdales. I know a lot of the fan base has pimping Drysdale’s tires because they think he has more offensive upside, but I am very happy with taking Sanderson at 5.

I’m happy with Sanderson too. I don’t think he will be a premier point producer on the back end. In that sense I think he could put something similar to hanifin

 

[H2O]

I’m happy with Sanderson too. I don’t think he will be a premier point producer on the back end. In that sense I think he could put something similar to hanifin

I’d wait until next year’s tournament before making that call. I mean you may be right, but we will definitely have a better sense next year.

 

[SensFactor]

Sanderson is the anti Karlsson. Low Risk, Low reward. However, that's what we need. Too many times I've pulled out my hair watching the Sens run around their own zone like chickens with their heads cut off. We need stability and don't cry now that we have it in Jake.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Favorite plays are :30 and 3:30.

they went a little light in the gold medal game lol wtf

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Favorite plays are :30 and 3:30.

they went a little light in the gold medal game lol wtf

Yea, he had a few excellent defensive plays, passes and hits in the gold medal game not on there.

 

[bicboi64]

I wouldn't.

5th overall for a mid-pair defenseman? No thanks.

He's 23 and only going to get better. Plus Chabot is our #1 LD. Sanderson being a solid 2nd pairing guy would be awesome

 

[Hale The Villain]

The exact same production as Jamie Drysdale. Do people have the same concerns about Drysdale's offensive upside at the NHL level?

It's less about point production and more about how they play and the skills they possess.

In a 50+ game season things even out and the cream rises to the top, but in a 5-7 game tournament there can be significant outliers with production not matching the eye test.

Drysdale had less points than Guhle and Schneider, and the same amount of points as Barron, but it was obvious from watching him that he's far more talented and has higher offensive upside. Same for Harley who somehow only had one point.