While the full trade details are unknown, we can assume that it was more than just Sanderson involved in the deal. Compared to the actual Eichel trade, which was for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a 1st, and a 2nd for Eichel and a third, Sanderson would need to be the player on Krebs' level.
Last year was Jake Sanderson's first year in the NHL and he was quite impressive. He had solid numbers with 32 points in 77 games but defensively he was outstanding. On a brutal Senators defense, Sanderson stood out as their second-best defensive defenseman behind only Artem Zub.
At only 21 as well, there is a lot of growth that will come in Sanderson's game, and at the moment, he looks like a surefire top-pairing defenseman who will lead the Senators for years.
While Eichel would certainly be the Senators' first-line center, the emergence of Tim Stutzle seems to eliminate a long-term need for Eichel, and the Senators keeping their pieces will help them for years to come.
