Senators Defender Joins USA Roster

An Ottawa Senators defenseman has been named to the United States roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Oct 29, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (85) controls the puck in the second period against the St. Louis Blues at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images / Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

An unfortunate development for the United States roster ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off is simultaneously the opportunity of a lifetime for an Ottawa Senators defenseman. Following a lingering injury forcing Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes to withdraw from the upcoming tournament, the team selected Senators' star blue liner Jake Sanderson as an injury replacement.

The decision comes just one day shy of the deadline for final rosters to be submitted, and now it's official that the Senators defenseman will be participating in the international competition. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the roster addition following Vancouver's organizational announcement that Hughes would not participate.

Jake Sanderson is replacing Hughes on the USA roster

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 9, 2025

It was likely a very easy decision for the United States management staff to pivot to Sanderson. He's having an excellent season for Ottawa, He leads their defensemen in scoring, putting up five goals and 30 assists for 35 points in 55 games while averaging 24:25 minutes of ice time per game. In just his third NHL season, he's already on the verge of setting new offensive career-high numbers in the 2024-2025 season.

Sanderson also brings a similar skillset and toolkit to the United States roster that Hughes was expected to bring. To be clear, Sanderson isn't on the level of the Norris Winner he's replacing. It's impossible to do so when the person needing replaced is a 90-point All-Star. But what Sanderson can do in the same mold as Hughes is skate well with the puck. He will enter the tournament as one of the most explosive skaters there, and his success in transition and on the rush will be a complimentary addition to USA's lineup and offensive attack.

The good news for Sanderson is that he won't have to come in and shoulder the number one defenseman responsibilities or minutes. USA is a deep defensive team, and they should be able to spread the load to help ease the burden across all six defenders. Either way, Sanderson gets the chance to show off where his game is at on a global scale for the first time as an NHL'er.

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