Can the Senators Keep Rolling Without Jake Sanderson?

The Ottawa Senators are on a roll. Monday night, they took down the Vancouver Canucks 2-0 on the road, and yet, they did it without one of their best players—defenseman Jake Sanderson. That’s no small feat. Sanderson, fresh off winning Olympic gold with Team USA, left Saturday’s win over the Seattle Kraken after a hard hit into the boards. He’s now out week to week with an upper-body injury, leaving a big hole on Ottawa’s blue line.

What does Sanderson's loss mean for the Senators?

So what does playing without their best blue-liner mean for the Senators? Honestly, it’s a test of depth and resilience. Sanderson leads the team’s defensemen in goals, assists, points, and ice time. Losing a player like that is a serious challenge. But the Senators didn’t miss a beat against the Canucks. Backup Nikolas Matinpalo stepped in, logging almost 14 minutes, and the team still got the job done. That’s the “next man up” mentality coach Travis Green talks about—and Ottawa seems to have it in spades.

The bigger picture is that this Senators team isn’t just surviving—they’re thriving. They’ve rattled off a seven-game point streak, including a 4-0-1 record on a recent five-game road trip. Even without Sanderson, they’re competing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, just three points behind the Bruins for the second wild card. It’s impressive and a little scary if you’re a rival. The system seems solid, the players are stepping up, and the confidence is high.

Imagine how much better the Senators would be with Sanderson in the lineup.

Of course, Sanderson’s absence will be felt over time. He’s a game-changer on the back end, and over the long haul, you wonder if the Senators can keep this level of play without him. It’s one thing to cover a game or two; it’s another to maintain focus and chemistry deep into the stretch run. But for now, Ottawa is showing they’re more than one player—they’re a team that can adjust, fight, and keep moving forward.

If the Senators can maintain this composure, even without their star defenseman, it’s not just a temporary streak. It’s a statement: this team can handle adversity and still compete at a high level. That’s the mark of a squad built to make some noise in the playoffs, whether Sanderson is on the ice or not.