The Ottawa Senators are playing it safe with their star defenceman as they close out their pre-season schedule.
Jake Sanderson left Saturday's split-squad game against the Montreal Canadiens in Ottawa for what the team called "precautionary" reasons.
After the game, head coach Travis Green said Sanderson isn't expected to miss any time.
The 24-year-old blue-liner left the contest after picking up an assist on Drake Batherson's power-play goal in the second period.
Sanderson had logged 13:22 of ice time, put two shots on goal and laid two hits before exiting.
While it is unclear what exactly forced him to leave, Sanderson has been dealing with a nagging injury that has prevented him from skating with the Senators in recent days.
In 2025-26, the left-shot defender tallied 14 goals and 40 assists in 67 games.
Ottawa opens its regular-season schedule next Saturday on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
