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New Jersey Devils: Evaluating NHL Draft Eligible Defensemen’s Ceiling And Floor

By Nick Villano

PLYMOUTH, MI - DECEMBER 11: Jake Sanderson #48 of the U.S. Nationals watches the action from the bench against the Slovakia Nationals during game two of day one of the 2018 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament game at USA Hockey Arena on December 11, 2018 in Plymouth, Michigan. USA defeated Slovakia 7-2. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)
PLYMOUTH, MI - DECEMBER 11: Jake Sanderson #48 of the U.S. Nationals watches the action from the bench against the Slovakia Nationals during game two of day one of the 2018 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament game at USA Hockey Arena on December 11, 2018 in Plymouth, Michigan. USA defeated Slovakia 7-2. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils Jake Sanderson
Jake Sanderson #48 – U.S. Nationals (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) /

Jake Sanderson

On just about everyone’s NHL Mock Draft, Jake Sanderson is the second defenseman off the board. However, last year almost everyone had Philip Broberg going second, but the Detroit Red Wings went with the German Moritz Seider instead. Teams are much more likely to go in a different direction when a player is second best for most experts.

Sanderson is a leader on the U.S. National Development Team, serving as the captain this season. He has a lot of interesting skills, just nothing spectacular. He’s probably the safest defenseman on the board. However, there may be issues with what he can actually become.

His Ceiling:

For the most part, any player taken in the top ten, where may expect Sanderson to go, to have an immense upside. Even if they are a huge risk, there’s that inkling of hope they could one day be one of the best players in the league one day. We just don’t see that with Sanderson.

Still, his ceiling is still high among the defensemen. To hit his ceiling, he has to turn into a monster on the power play. He sees the ice in a way a lot of prospects can’t, especially as a teenager. Putting up points with the man advantage is an issue for the Devils, which is surprising seeing how many defensemen they have that are traditionally good on the power play.

Sanderson’s bread and butter is his overall game. Too many top defensemen in recent drafts excel at the offensive side, but their defense needs work. That’s a scary proposition for a pick so high. Sanderson will be a second-line defenseman. It seems like that’s what he’s destined for. The fact his bust potential is low means a lot and is a huge reason why analysts have him listed so high.

His Floor:

Sanderson’s floor is much easier to decide. He is going to be a fine defenseman. His speed is subpar, so there’s no chance he’s going to be a superstar defender. That doesn’t mean he will be an automatic bust or that a team will hate the pick.

He’s already taken serious steps on the defensive side of the puck. Full defenses need puck movers and the smart, responsible types. While you’d hope to get both with how high Sanderson is going, teams will love the fact that their risk factor is severely lowered.

He’s basically the antithesis of Drysdale. While Drysdale has all the makings of a superstar defenseman who just needs to put it all together, Sanderson has all the makings of a really good defenseman who might just be what he appears on paper. Anything can happen, and Sanderson is still talented, but we are seeing a limited situation here.

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