Veteran defenceman is one of the candidates to become the next captain in Ottawa after Brady Tkachuk was traded this off-season.

Leadership isn’t stitched on a jersey.

Jake Sanderson has earned it the hard way.

The Ottawa Senators have yet to announce who will wear the ‘C’ this season, but there is a reason the club’s top defenceman is considered to be on the list of the top three candidates to be named the 10th captain in franchise history after Brady Tkachuk’s departure.

Whether there is a letter on his jersey or not when the dust has settled on the selection of a new captain by Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, and coach Travis Green, the 24-year-old Sanderson will help carry the Senators this season.

He is well aware that his name has been mentioned as one of the frontrunners for the job, along with veteran defenceman Thomas Chabot and top centre Tim Stutzle, and Sanderson admitted after Day 2 of training camp on Friday that he has given it some thought.

And, if he’s given the honour by Staios and Green, Sanderson will be ready for the job.

“You never know what’s going to happen in the next few days or the next few weeks, but again, I just feel like it’s kind of credit to my teammates and coaches too,” Sanderson said. “We have such a tight group in there. Whoever it is, everyone will be super happy and proud of them.

“It’s just a really special group.”

Staios and Green contemplated a decision before camp got underway, but wanted to see the group together first.

Chabot, 29, who is heading into his tenth season with the club, is the easy choice and deserving of the honour, given everything that he has done for this organization on and off the ice.

But there is a pause because Chabot has only two years left on his contract, and who knows what the future holds. Sanderson is under contract until 2031, and Stutzle has a deal until 2030.

After signing an eight-year extension that runs until 2035, winger Drake Batherson has entered the mix as well. Many believe Sanderson is the front-runner, Chabot is a strong choice and Stutzle has matured enough to warrant consideration.

Sanderson puts in the hard work required to have success. He’s not the kind of player who’s going to confront anybody in the dressing room to read them the riot act about their efforts.

Instead, he’d rather show his teammates the way through hard work.

“I’m just a guy that leads by example. I’m not the loudest guy in the room for sure, but I just love playing hockey,” Sanderson said. “I love being around my teammates every day and working hard, and honestly, I feel the most comfortable on the ice.

“I feel like I’m a different person out there, and can yell and scream and talk.”

There is no wrong choice among Chabot, Sanderson or Stutzle. But the Senators can’t keep looking backward. Tkachuk is gone and this team needs to define its new era.

After Ottawa signed Batherson last week, my close friend David Ho, a longtime season-ticket holder, posted on the social media site X that it was time to take care of the next piece of business.

“Great signing for a lifetime Senator,” Ho wrote on his profile. “Now, time to name a captain to start the next chapter for the team.”

Great signing for a lifetime Senator. Now time to name a captain to start the next chapter for the team.

— Pan (@PanofSCU) September 15, 2026

We argue a lot, but Ho is right. You can close the door by naming the captain and the leadership group before opening night against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 3 at Scotiabank Arena.

The Senators are one of only seven teams without a captain. The Los Angeles Kings scratched themselves off the list by naming Drew Doughty to replace Anze Kopitar on Wednesday.

Sanderson, selected No. 5 overall by the Senators in the 2020 National Hockey League draft, is heading into his fifth full season. He has 39 goals and 142 assists for 181 points in 303 games.

Green basically said on Friday that coaching this guy is a dream come true because of Sanderson’s commitment to improvement.

“He’s an impressive person. He’s very focused. Wants to succeed. Wants to be his very best. He’s smart. Really, he checks all the boxes as a coach,” Green said.

“From a coach’s standpoint, his skill level is extremely high. His work ethic is extremely high. He’s really committed to the game, to his teammates. He’s a good person. The list is long. He’s a joy to coach.”

The Senators’ leadership vacuum won’t be solved by a letter. That’s why Sanderson remains such a top candidate. Whether he wears the ‘C’ or not, he’s already setting the standard.

Sooner or later, Ottawa has to name its next captain. The bigger challenge is making sure the next chapter belongs to the players who are writing it.