The Ottawa Senators have one of the NHL's most promising cores right now. Captain Brady Tkachuk, forward Tim Stutzle and defenseman Jakob Chychrun are some of the pillars of this group. However, there's one name that Tkachuk wants fans and the NHL alike to keep in mind: Jake Sanderson.

Tkachuk joined former NHL All-Star John Scott on his Dropping The Gloves podcast on Friday. The Senators captain had incredibly high praise for his teammate. In fact, the Senators captain went so far as to say Sanderson was “the most underrated player in the league.”

“The impact he had, the minutes he played, I just couldn't believe he wasn't even in the run for (the Calder Trophy),” Tkachuk said on the podcast.

Sanderson did receive votes for the Calder Trophy. However, he finished sixth in voting, behind the three finalists as well as Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston and Arizona Coyotes forward Matias Maccelli.

“I haven't seen a guy work like he did throughout the year. It was quite impressive. … I'm excited to see what he's going to do for us this year because he's going to be an awesome player for us,” Tkachuk continued in his praise of Sanderson.

The 21-year-old Senators defenseman played a major role in 2022-23. He played the second-most minutes of any player on the team. Sanderson scored four goals and 32 points in his rookie campaign.

Sanderson can further prove his worth this upcoming season. The Senators begin their 2023-24 season on October 11 on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes. Ottawa then heads home for an afternoon matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 14.