Should Jake Sanderson become the Senators’ next captain?

With Brady Tkachuk out of the picture, who should be the on-ice leader in the nation’s capital?

The Ottawa Senators made headlines earlier this summer, appeasing Tkachuk’s request to be traded, sending the former captain to join his brother with the Florida Panthers. Along with questions about the team’s legitimacy moving forward, many are wondering who could step in and wear the ‘C’.

There are many players part of the core who have helped shape Ottawa into the team it is today. Tim Stutzle and Thomas Chabot grew up in the organization, while Claude Giroux maintains a significant veteran presence and previously served as a captain with the Philadelphia Flyers.

However, one name has risen to contention for the role, and that is defenseman Jake Sanderson. A talented player in his own right, the American has placed himself alongside some of the best players in the NHL and has proven to be a key piece in the Sens’ locker room.

On Thursday, former NHL goaltender and TSN broadcaster Jamie McLennan joined Coming in Hot, explaining why Sanderson is a legitimate candidate to be the next captain of the Senators.

Jamie McLennan: “Jake Sanderson’s a superstar. He leads by example. I think he does things right every day… What you can be is just a quiet leader and a guy who is elite in all facets. Like this guy, since the moment he stepped into the league, he’s one of the best defenders in the league. And now he’s added the offensive component and now he’s doing everything. I still feel at the end of the day, he’s a guy that if you give him the C, he’s going to take that to heart.

“It’s not any slight – I love Tim Stutzle. You guys know how much I love Timmy. I talk about him on the broadcast all the time… Timmy’s a superstar. It’d be easy to give him the ‘C,’ be easy to give (Thomas) Chabot the C. But the longevity –  if Chabot was 24, I would say he’s the guy because he’s very vocal, but he’s not.”