The Ottawa Senators have an incredibly promising core of players already making an impact at the NHL level. On Wednesday, the Senators ensured one of those core players will remain with the franchise for quite a while. Ottawa has signed defenseman Jake Sanderson to a monster eight-year contract extension, the team announced on Twitter.

The extension begins in the 2024-25 season. This season, the Montana native will play out the final season of his three-year entry-level contract. Beginning in 2024-25, Sanderson will earn a salary of $8.05 million each year through the duration of the deal.

If Ottawa so desires, they can trade the 21-year-old blueliner freely through the first five years of the contract. However, in the final three years, Sanderson has a modified no-trade clause, according to CapFriendly. In 2029-30, the Senators blueliner can submit a list of 10 teams to block trades to.

Ottawa missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season. But Sanderson turned in a fantastic rookie performance. He fell short of the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie, yet he showed incredible promise. Recently, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk claimed that the Montana native was the most underrated player in the NHL.

The Senators selected Sanderson with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. In his debut campaign, the 21-year-old scored four goals and 32 points in 77 games. He played an important role from the outset, averaging nearly 22 minutes a night.

Sanderson and the Senators begin their 2023-24 season on October 11. Ottawa hits the road to face the Carolina Hurricanes before returning home for an October 14th matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers.