Prospect Info: Jake Sanderson (D) PART 2

[Johnny Hanson]

Do you think Sanderson will sign this off-season? How do you think his offensive game will transition given he only has about 6 points in 13 games?

Do you think 6 points in 13 games is bad for an 18 year old who won’t be 19 until later this summer and is already one of the most talented defensive defensemen in the NCAA?

 

[TheDebater]

In my opinion, I do not even necessarily want Sanderson to be an "offense first" type of defenseman. What the team needs right now on defense is a consistently solid and reliable defenseman who can play 25 minutes a game and help stop the other team from scoring.

If Sanderson becomes a defensive stalwart and puts up 30-40 points a year, I would say that is a huge win for us. We already have Chabot and Brannstrom which can carry the offensive weight.

 

[Oral64]

In two years we're going to have one of Chabot or Sanderson on the ice for 2/3rds if the game or more. Brannstrom likely on for the rest. Those will be good days.

Don't forget Thomson, JBD and Kleven, all three whom play a decent physical game.

 

[Matsens15]

In my opinion, I do not even necessarily want Sanderson to get an "offense first" type of defenseman. What the team needs right now on defense is a consistently solid and reliable defenseman who can play 25 minutes a game and help stop the other team from scoring.

If Sanderson becomes a defensive stalwart and puts up 30-40 points a year, I would say that is a huge win for us. We already have Chabot and Brannstrom which can carry the offensive weight.

A Seth Jones type

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Do you think 6 points in 13 games is bad for an 18 year old who won’t be 19 until later this summer and is already one of the most talented defensive defensemen in the NCAA?

Looking more at the players around his age and the kind of team he's on (not as stacked or high scoring as like Michigan), it seems to be pretty on par, especially considering he was pretty young when drafted. Just seemed low at first, and I've looked further into it and it seems to be about in the right range.

 

[ijif]

Do you think 6 points in 13 games is bad for an 18 year old who won’t be 19 until later this summer and is already one of the most talented defensive defensemen in the NCAA?

It certainly doesn't quell fears that his offensive game won't be strong enough to justify a top-five selection. Many other players have produced much stronger numbers, and they have done so as younger players.

Of course, 13 games is not a large sample, and I am not saying that 6 points in 13 games is bad production.

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

In my opinion, I do not even necessarily want Sanderson to get an "offense first" type of defenseman. What the team needs right now on defense is a consistently solid and reliable defenseman who can play 25 minutes a game and help stop the other team from scoring.

If Sanderson becomes a defensive stalwart and puts up 30-40 points a year, I would say that is a huge win for us. We already have Chabot and Brannstrom which can carry the offensive weight.

*Looks up Brannstroms stats and sees he has an NHL stat line of 38GP 0G 5A

 

[TheDebater]

*Looks up Brannstroms stats and sees he has an NHL stat line of 38GP 0G 5A

Based on his play in the AHL and Europe, he definitely has alot of offensive upside.

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

Based on his play in the AHL and Europe, he definitely has alot of offensive upside.

I hope it‘ll come. It looks like it may. He’s still so young.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Sanderson’s game translates a lot better to the NHL

 

[Micklebot]

It certainly doesn't quell fears that his offensive game won't be strong enough to justify a top-five selection. Many other players have produced much stronger numbers, and they have done so as younger players.

Of course, 13 games is not a large sample, and I am not saying that 6 points in 13 games is bad production.

It's a tough situation to read, as a guy that is as polished as he is defensively will get used differently than a guy who excels only at the other end of the ice, particularly when the team he's on has lots of options.

 

[NyQuil]

It certainly doesn't quell fears that his offensive game won't be strong enough to justify a top-five selection. Many other players have produced much stronger numbers, and they have done so as younger players.

Of course, 13 games is not a large sample, and I am not saying that 6 points in 13 games is bad production.

I'm not sure you even want two guys putting up #1 defenceman production, particularly in our financial situation.

How do you afford that and keep a stable of star forwards?

I guess there's Colorado with Byram and Makar and Girard, and San Jose with Burns and Karlsson, not sure how many other teams are running with two #1 D as far as offensive production is concerned.

 

[TheDebater]

It certainly doesn't quell fears that his offensive game won't be strong enough to justify a top-five selection. Many other players have produced much stronger numbers, and they have done so as younger players.

Of course, 13 games is not a large sample, and I am not saying that 6 points in 13 games is bad production.

Why does offense have to be the deciding factor to justify a defenseman being selected in the top 5? Are top 5 picks reserved just for offensive defenseman, or elite ones like Hedman and Heiskanen who can do both?

The idea that you pass on a Sanderson type in the draft because it is "easy" to draft really good defensive defensemen later in the draft is myth and subject to analysis for validity.

If he goes on to help this team solidify its defense corps and become a contender, that alone makes the top 5 selection worth it.

 

[Xspyrit]

I don't get this argument that Sanderson needs to put up numbers to justify a top-5 selection. Personally, I want Sanderson to be Jaccob Slavin, not Quinn Hughes. Guys like Slavin are rare like pope's poop, they are invaluable, particularly vs their AAV

A Seth Jones type

Jones is a top-5 D-man in the league. He can put up big numbers too. Thing is they also have Werenski who takes a big portion of the "points"

 

[ijif]

Why does offense have to be the deciding factor to justify a defenseman being selected in the top 5? Are top 5 picks reserved just for offensive defenseman, or elite ones like Hedman and Heiskanen who can do both?

The idea that you pass on a Sanderson type in the draft because it is "easy" to draft really good defensive defensemen later in the draft is myth and subject to analysis for validity.

If he goes on to help this team solidify its defense corps and become a contender, that alone makes the top 5 selection worth it.

I am not claiming offence has to be the deciding factor in justifying if Sanderson was a strong pick at number five. I am claiming that his current production doesn't lower fears that his offensive impact will not be at a high enough level to make his overall impact worth a top-five selection in retrospect. If one wants to suggest that his relative offensive impact is lowered because of usage, that is fine, but there is no evidence that can verify that. We can use the eye-test, and that is great and useful, but if we disagree on the eye-test, we go nowhere.

Generally speaking, I am somewhat wary of taking defenders in the top five. I view them as riskier than forwards.

I didn't claim that you should pass on a "Sanderson type" defender because it is easy to get them later on in the draft.

I do not care how many points our players produce at the NHL level, but how many points a player produces at levels before the NHL is a predictive variable of how good a player will be on the offensive side of things at the NHL level, and that is 1/2 or 1/3 (depending on if you put transition as a separate category) of a player's net impact.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

I can see the arguments of him coming over... but I feel it will be a mistake; and another year in the NCAA would do him absolute wonders. I would be kind of upset to see him come over-unless he plays a full year in the AHL. Remember he is among the youngest drafted last year, he is still very much developing his offensive skills and incorporating them into his game holistically which he has in bunches. I have watched every since NCAA game except for 1 and he has the potential to be a top 5 D in the game, I hope we don't rush him. He still sometimes bobbles the puck when he is going at high speeds, let him figure out how make his hands keep up with his feet, he wont be able to do that if he comes over. Keep him there or in the AHL.

 

[Icelevel]

Our best dman. Can’t get here soon enough.

 

[Micklebot]

Our best dman. Can’t get here soon enough.

Woah now, have you not heard of Mike Reilly?

 

[JimmySpaetzle]

*Looks up Brannstroms stats and sees he has an NHL stat line of 38GP 0G 5A

In all fairness to Brannstrom we’ve been scoring like 1 goal a game, and haven’t scored on the PP in idek how long

 

[R2010]

Ferraro compared Sanderson to Bouwmeester. That's a pretty good comparable. I think we would benefit tremendously from that type of player well beyond the point totals.

 

[Xspyrit]

I can see the arguments of him coming over... but I feel it will be a mistake; and another year in the NCAA would do him absolute wonders. I would be kind of upset to see him come over-unless he plays a full year in the AHL. Remember he is among the youngest drafted last year, he is still very much developing his offensive skills and incorporating them into his game holistically which he has in bunches. I have watched every since NCAA game except for 1 and he has the potential to be a top 5 D in the game, I hope we don't rush him. He still sometimes bobbles the puck when he is going at high speeds, let him figure out how make his hands keep up with his feet, he wont be able to do that if he comes over. Keep him there or in the AHL.

Don't worry, high end players continue to develop in the NHL

There's a big difference between the Zibanejads, Karlssons, Chabots, Stutzles, Tkachuks and the Lazars and Cecis.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

I still think that if all goes well we're pretty much getting a Hampus Lindholm clone. May not be the most exciting to watch but it's exciting for the prospect of winning games.

 

[SENATOR]

Sanderson has to be developed next to Zub and Chabot. Zub makes everyone better and Zub has the best of the past school of soviet defenseman pedigree. There is absolutely nothing Sanderson will learn to enhance his game at this point in NCAA or AHL. Talent like this should be playing only with another talent to develop faster and with quality.

 

[Asquaredx2]

Ferraro compared Sanderson to Bouwmeester. That's a pretty good comparable. I think we would benefit tremendously from that type of player well beyond the point totals.

Agreed. Although I think Sanderson will be more physical. He was manhandling Canada's forwards in the WJC finals.

 

[NHL Dude 120]

I'm fine with Kleven, Sanderson and Pinto staying another year. JBD should sign this year.

I'd like Sanderson to develop some aspect of an offensive game BUT it doesn't have to be his main thing although I want him to be good at that end.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Don't worry, high end players continue to develop in the NHL

There's a big difference between the Zibanejads, Karlssons, Chabots, Stutzles, Tkachuks and the Lazars and Cecis.

It's not a question him no longer developing, it's a question of him developing more slowly since he does not have the higher minutes to play freely with risk and learn--like he would in the AHL or back in College.

Look at Seider. The guy was a defensive BEAST in AHL last year and looked like a defensive prospect with offensive upside. Detroit smartly send him to SHL and now the guy looks like also one of the best 2 way D prospects out there. That's what we should do with Sanderson. He is already top 2-3 defensive d prospect, let him combine that with a more riskier style of play in lesser competition to have his offense catch up playing 25+ minutes.

As a result, we could get top 2-3 defender right off the bat in the NHL with 3 years of entry level contract control.

Conversely, he come come over next year, give the Sens 2 years of great defensive hockey, we sign him long term deal and then he breaks out offensively and we have one of the best contracts in hockey for an elite defender.

Sanderson has to be developed next to Zub and Chabot. Zub makes everyone better and Zub has the best of the past school of soviet defenseman pedigree. There is absolutely nothing Sanderson will learn to enhance his game at this point in NCAA or AHL. Talent like this should be playing only with another talent to develop faster and with quality.

Honestly speaking, how many games have you watched Sanderson play this year?

His offensive inclination and play has improved significantly from the beginning of the year until now. Even then, he still bobbles a lot of pucks at high end speed and other plays that would make him truly elite. Imagine what another season can do for him as the number 1 option on the PP, PK, EV and for USA in all those situations.

I'm fine with Kleven, Sanderson and Pinto staying another year. JBD should sign this year.

Nothing left for Pinto to learn. He does everything well and he is too ahead of his peers, would be a waste to send him back. Will learn far more in Bellville next year and/or could probably easily crack bottom 6 for us.