Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson stepped back onto the ice Saturday during their matchup with the Minnesota Wild after being sidelined for over a month.
The 23-year-old defender had been out of action since March 7, when Ottawa beat Seattle 7-4, due to an upper-body injury that kept him away from the team for 13 contests.
Sanderson’s comeback couldn’t come at a better time for Ottawa, which sits at 39-26-20 with 88 points. While the Senators currently occupy the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference based on tiebreakers heading into Saturday’s contest, their playoff spot remains uncertain. Detroit, Columbus, and Philadelphia each have identical 88-point totals and are ready to capitalize on any missteps to secure the final postseason position.
This season, Sanderson has compiled 48 points through 62 games, recording 11 goals and 37 assists to lead all Ottawa defensemen in scoring.
Ottawa selected the Montana-born player fifth overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Prior to Saturday’s game, Sanderson had accumulated 175 points across 298 career NHL appearances, including 36 goals and 139 assists.
