What Happened
Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson will miss Thursday night's game against the Philadelphia Flyers, according to Sportsnet. Sanderson was seen skating on his own at Thursday morning practice, an indication the injury may not be as serious as initially feared. He played six shifts in Saturday's season-opening win over the Toronto Maple Leafs before being ruled out. Sanderson had been dealing with an injury before the season and missed a significant portion of training camp and the pre-season before returning to practice last Friday.
Key Details
- Sanderson will not play Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
- He skated on his own at Thursday morning practice.
- He played six shifts in Saturday's season-opening win over Toronto before being ruled out.
- He missed a good chunk of training camp and the pre-season with a pre-season injury.
- He returned to practice last Friday.
- In 2025-26, he had 14 goals and 40 assists in 67 games.
What It Means
Sanderson is a key part of Ottawa's blue line, and his absence leaves a hole on the left side. The fact that he is skating on his own suggests the Senators may have avoided a worst-case scenario, but his availability beyond Thursday is not yet clear. Ottawa selected him fifth overall in 2020, and he has developed into a top-pairing defenceman.
What's Next
The Senators will continue to evaluate Sanderson's status. His return to the lineup has not been given a timeline, and the team has not announced whether he will travel or play in upcoming games.