USHL: Jake Sanderson, D, USNTDP (2020)

He can fly under the radar if you aren’t paying attention, but in a draft class that is relatively light on blueliners, Jake Sanderson is one of the best after Jamie Drysdale. Born in Montana but raised partially in Canada, the North Dakota commit simply does everything well. He is listed with roughly average size, but looks broader and capable of carrying additional muscle as he matures physically.

His overall game is incredibly mature and he could be ready for the pro game after perhaps two seasons on campus. He projects as a strong #2/3 defender at the highest level, with the ability to play a supporting role on the power play and a shutdown role on the penalty kill. It may be easy to say that his very high floor is countered by a lack of ceiling, but that wouldn’t be accurate. Sanderson will have a long NHL career and could be a key player on a winning team.

Jake Sanderson. Photo by Rena Laverty

Skating: Although not as fleet of foot as his father, longtime NHLer Geoff Sanderson, Jake is a pretty smooth skater as well. His plus edges make him a threat patrolling the blue line in the offensive zone, while his four way mobility allows him to maintain good enough gaps in coverage as well. He has been known to lead the rush and his top speed is impressive. He has enough recovery ability to keep up with speed going the other way. Grade: 60

Shot: While not a traditional power play quarterback who fires the puck at will from the blueline, Sanderson picks his spots wisely. His shot is strong enough to force defenders and goalies to pay attention, but he will as often as not be looking for a passing lane to get the puck in deep. He is the type of blueliner that can contribute as much to a scoring chance with a fake shot as he can by letting one rip. Style aside, Sanderson’s point shot is enough of a weapon to be a second unit point man on the power play at the next level. Grade: 55

Skills: Sanderson is proof that a blueliner does not need to play a flashy game to demonstrate plus puck skills. He is patient with the puck on his stick in all three zones, moving laterally, controlling the pace of the game until a lane opens up. Once that lane appears, he is precise enough to move the puck through that lane with force. He is a classic puck distributor in the offensive zone. Instead of walking the blue line, he will often find his way up the half wall with the puck to force the opposition to cover from additional dimensions. His pure puck skills are enough to competently lead the rush from own zone to the offensive end. Grade: 55

Smarts: Looking only at contextual factors, Sanderson has two elements in his favor that suggest a high hockey IQ is within. First is the aforementioned fact that his father spent a long time in the NHL, and had a reputation for his hockey smarts as well. Second, the USNDTP program more often than not features players with hockey smarts and those players tend to see that area of their respective games grow during their time in the program. To Sanderson’s credit, he lives up to that context and then some. A top penalty kill option for the program, he routinely demonstrates high end vision and play reading ability. The patience discussed above would not be present if he was not advanced at deciphering the play. He is solid in his own end, keeping good gaps, and staying on the right side of the puck. Despite his age, he carries himself with veteran presence. Grade: 60

Physicality: Neither the biggest nor the toughest, Sanderson nonetheless can play a little bit mean and his presence cannot be taken for granted. He has a frame that, once physical maturity is complete should be around average to slightly above at the NHL level. He plays clean, and I haven’t seen him deliver any big hits, but he will apply a nice face wash after the whistle to remind the opposition of who he is. Grade: 55

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 57.75