No news on Jake Sanderson wasn’t good news for fans of the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.
The Senators’ top defenceman left Saturday night’s 7-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken after taking a hit along the boards from Brandon Montour in the second period.
Coach Travis Green told reporters after the game that the club would “know more tomorrow,” but the Senators didn’t skate in Vancouver on Sunday. It’s believed Sanderson was undergoing further examination on Sunday to determine the extent of the injury.
There likely won’t be an update until after the club’s skate at Rogers Arena on Monday. The Senators close out a five-game road trip against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday at 9 p.m. EST.
Sanderson looked like he was in a lot of discomfort after he skated to the bench and headed to the dressing room holding his right shoulder.
Losing Sanderson for any length of time would be a big blow. He has averaged 25 minutes of ice time per game. He has 11 goals and 37 assists for 48 points in 62 games with the Senators this season.
The club didn’t recall anybody from its American Hockey League affiliate on Sunday because the Senators have Nikolas Matinpalo on the trip and return to Ottawa after facing the Canucks.
Matinpalo won a bronze medal with Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy last month, but hasn’t played a National Hockey League game since Jan. 24 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
He has suited up for 30 games this season and has contributed four assists.
There was some concern the Senators might be without defenceman Tyler Kleven against the Canucks, but he was given a slap on the wrist by the NHL’s department of player safety for an incident in Seattle.
The NHL’s head office announced that Kleven was fined $4,166.67, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for cross-checking Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann with 3:35 left in the game.
Kleven was assessed a major penalty for cross-checking and a game misconduct.
Related