With the No. 14 pick, the Oilers select… Jake Sanderson?
By Cam Lewis
3 years agoLeading up to the NHL draft, I’ll be profiling 10 players who the Oilers could consider taking with the No. 14 pick. Today, we have Jake Sanderson.
I said yesterday when I profiled Kaiden Guhle of the Prince Albert Raiders that I don’t believe it’s likely that the Oilers select a defenceman at No. 14.
Looking up and down their farm system, the Oilers have quite a bit of talent on the blueline and they’ve used their last two first-round picks on defencemen, Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg. Given how this is such a forward-heavy draft, Edmonton has a prime chance to net themselves a much-needed forward prospect.
If Edmonton were to draft Guhle, I’m guessing that it would come in a trade-down situation rather than at No. 14. Realistically, there’s only one defender who I could see Edmonton going with at No. 14 — Jake Sanderson.
He’s the second-best defenceman in the draft, behind only Jamie Drysdale (who’s a lock to go top-10) and would be too good to pass up on at No. 14 even despite the organization’s depth on the blueline.
Jake Sanderson
Date of Birth: July 8, 2002
Country: Canada/United States
Position: Defence
Height: 6’1″ / 186 cm
Weight: 185 lbs / 84 kg
Ranked #9 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #12 by FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
Ranked #11 by ISS HOCKEY
Ranked #12 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
Ranked #5 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
Ranked #9 by CONSOLIDATED RANKING
Ranked #8 by TSN/McKenzie
“Sanderson recognizes appropriate times to join the rush and pinches on opposing wingers well, sealing off pass options along the boards to prevent breakouts. He’s got a quick wrister as well that can create havoc. He’s calculated, disciplined, physical, and creative. There just isn’t much that he can’t do in the defensive zone at an exceptionally high level.” –EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide“Sanderson has worked his way into the top 10 discussion, and I’ve talked to several teams who have him as their No. 1 ranked defenseman.He’s a player I struggled with all season, and has bounced up and down my list.Could he become a Hampus Lindholm or a Ryan McDonagh type? It’s possible. I have some hesitations saying he’s a no-doubt top pair/No. 1 defenseman because of how many games I’ve seen where he has a very average impact offensively.I’ve seen enough very good games from him though, that combined with his great athletic toolkit, work ethic and hockey sense, I could see someone who plays in the upper half of a lineup, regularly logs 20-22 minutes a night and helps his team win games.” – Corey Pronman, The Athletic
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Much like his father, Geoff Sanderson (who had an 1104-game career in the NHL, including a short stop in Edmonton right at the very end), Jake Sanderson is a very good skater, allowing him to be effective on both ends of the ice as a defender.
He’s more oriented towards being a minute-munching, defensive stalwart. Sanderson’s quick feet and good footwork allow him to have excellent gap control and his strong skating makes him virtually impossible to beat wide on a rush. On offence, he can use his wheels to jump into the play and also create offence quickly from the blueline.
Sanderson was the captain of the United States’ U-18 National Development Program team in 2019-20, a testament to how his character and game are beyond his years. He’s committed to play the 2020-21 season at the University of North Dakota, one of the best NCAA hockey programs in the country, and he’ll surely play a big role on the American World Junior team if the tournament happens this winter.
Corey Pronman mentioned above that if all goes well for Sanderson, he could develop into a Ryan McDonagh workhorse type defenceman. Like McDonagh, he won’t be an elite offensive producer, but he’s the type of blueliner who will make your team better for the 22-24 minutes he’s on the ice.
Even if he doesn’t fit a glaring organization need, if Sanderson is there at No. 14, the Oilers have to capitalize. You can never have too many good defencemen.
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