- Jake Sanderson practiced Monday and is expected back Wednesday vs. the Panthers
- The Senators defenseman has missed eight straight games with a lower-body injury
- Read below for what he said about the wait and why his return matters
Jake Sanderson is about to end his stay on the injured list.
The Senators defenseman practiced Monday and is expected to return Wednesday against the Florida Panthers, according to the NHL Status Report. He has missed eight straight games with a lower-body injury.
Sanderson talked about the long wait after Monday’s practice.
“I’m fired up,” Sanderson said. “Long few weeks for me, frustrating for sure. But you know, I think seeing the guys play as good as they have kind of you know makes a little bit better. So, frustrating, like I said, but man, I’m just so excited to play.”
The injury has followed him since the preseason. Sanderson left a game Sept. 26 as a precaution and was held out of practice before returning the day before the season opener. He played the first period of Ottawa’s 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs on Oct. 3 and did not return.
Coach Travis Green said afterward that Sanderson showed good instincts by pulling himself early, per The Hockey News. Sanderson has logged just 4:29 of ice time this season and no points, according to Pro Hockey Rumors.
Ottawa is 6-3-0 despite his absence, but the blue line has taken hits. Captain Thomas Chabot left Saturday’s game against the Flyers, and TSN’s Bruce Garrioch relayed Green’s update that it was an upper-body injury:
Sanderson led all Senators defensemen last season with 14 goals, 40 assists, 54 points and 24:50 of ice time per game.
Wednesday is a big night in Ottawa. It is Brady Tkachuk’s first game back since the Senators traded him to Florida, and he arrives with nine points in his last three games. Watch the overtime winner that capped his second straight hat trick:
Puck drop is 7:30 p.m. ET, and Sanderson should finally get a full game in.
We have more on Tkachuk’s trip back to Ottawa.
