Jake Sanderson has earned his place among the NHL's elite

The Ottawa Senators have a good defenseman in Jake Sanderson. That’s about as obvious as saying that water is wet.

But the latest ranking of blueliners by NHL Network has made it crystal clear that Sanderson is among the league’s best. And it’s just not squeaking into the list. Sanderson has actually cracked the top 10. The ranking placed Sanderson 8th, ahead of a stud in Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings. That’s high praise considering how good Seider really is.

Now, to Senators fans, it’s no surprise to see Sanderson in the top 10. In fact, you could argue that Sanderson is better than Matthew Schaefer at #7 and even Lane Hutson at #6. But for fans not overly familiar with Sanderson, it might be a bit of a surprise. And you can’t blame them. They don’t get to see what Sanderson can do consistently.

The 24-year-old is one of the NHL’s best young two-way defensemen. He can break out the puck, play his position well, and quarterback a power play. That’s pretty much everything you need from a number-one guy.

However, Sanderson won’t crack the top five until his numbers catch up to his potential.

Sanderson will need to boost offensive numbers to crack top five

It’s worth pointing out that offensive numbers aren’t everything to a story. For example, Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers only made it to #10 on the list. This is a 90-point defenseman we’re talking about here. Yet, his poor defensive game holds him back significantly.

In Sanderson’s case, the underlying defensive performance is there. And when his numbers catch up, he’ll be in the Norris Trophy conversation.

Last season, he dealt with a shoulder injury, limiting him to 67 games. In those games, Sanderson scored 14 goals and 54 points. He would have easily surpassed his career high of 57 points had it not been for the injury.

That said, if Sanderson can cross into the 70 or 80-point range, to go with his solid defensive play, he could enter the Norris Trophy conversation.

That’s not hyperbole. 20 goals and 70 points could earn Sanderson plenty of consideration for the Norris this upcoming season.

What would it take for Senators top D-man to win Norris Trophy?

It’s not going to be easy for Sanderson to win a Norris Trophy in the next five years or so. He’ll have to contend with the primes of Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, and Rasmus Dahlin. The Senators’ number-one guy will also have to contend with fellow up-and-comers like Schaefer and Hutson.

But if Sanderson can put up great offensive numbers and solid defensive metrics, while showing he’s the heart and soul of the Ottawa Senators, there’s no reason to see why he couldn’t win a Norris. The league wants to see more two-way blueliners and rewards them accordingly.

Given Sanderson’s current career trajectory, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him become a Norris finalist next season, provided he can stay healthy.

There’s no reason why he shouldn’t get increasing recognition.

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