SENSNEWS

Logan Hensler Draft Information

Logan Hensler was touted as one of the top prospects in the 2025 NHL Draft going back to last offseason. Before his draft year began, he was projected as someone who could go in the top 10.

Throughout the season, his stock slightly fell. However, even going into the draft, he was still projected to go in the middle of the first round, in the 15–20 range by many.

As we now know, Logan Hensler fell to pick #23, where Ottawa was able to draft him using the Nashville Predators’ selection.

Ottawa received this pick by trading their own pick (#21) for #23 and a third-round pick that was later flipped in the Jordan Spence trade.

Don Boyd mentioned that the Senators had Hensler higher on their list, so getting him this late in the draft had both the Senators and the general scouting consensus pleasantly surprised.

Something that has not always been the case with Ottawa.

So let’s dive into why Logan Hensler was the right decision for the Ottawa Senators at pick #23.

Logan Hensler Stats

This season with Wisconsin in the NCAA, Hensler recorded 2 goals and 10 assists for 12 points in 32 games. He also had an assist in seven games with Team USA at the World Junior Championships.

He finished eighth on Wisconsin in points and second among defencemen. However, with Hensler, the impact he provides extends well beyond the basic statistical categories.

Logan Hensler Play Style

Hensler is regarded as a very effective two-way defenceman who is highly mobile all over the ice.

Elite Prospects noted that in their viewings, he excelled in both mobility and two-way play. He earned badges in both categories from the outlet.

At 6’2″ and 192 lbs, Hensler already has ideal size for an 18-year-old defenceman. Combine that with the fact that he plays a premium position as a right-shot defenceman, and the value becomes even clearer.

With the way Logan Hensler plays hockey, his NHL projection is a safer bet compared to other, more raw prospects. He has the fundamental tools—with his skating and defensive game—to play a shutdown role at the NHL level.

But considering his overall mobility and ability to carry the puck in transition, he also has room to grow offensively.

Toward the end of the season, Hensler showed more willingness and confidence in carrying the puck up ice to start plays.

He’s also good at getting shots through traffic and onto the net, creating scoring chances in the slot.

His shot isn’t exceptionally powerful, but we’ve seen that getting pucks on net is often more effective than simply blasting them.

Logan Hensler’s Long-Term Fit

With the Hensler selection, Ottawa’s long-term outlook on the blue line looks much clearer. On the left side, Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, and Tyler Kleven are set to hold it down for the foreseeable future.

Now on the right side, a future blue line of Artem Zub and/or Jordan Spence, Carter Yakemchuk, and Logan Hensler looks very promising. Mixing talents, Logan Hensler and Thomas Chabot seem like a particularly intriguing duo.

Hensler has been described as a “Jake Sanderson-lite” version. This makes sense, considering Sanderson is the player Hensler has mentioned modeling his game after.

Sanderson can take on more of the transitional and defensive responsibilities on a pairing with Yakemchuk. In return, Yakemchuk can focus on using his in-zone offensive abilities to generate scoring chances.

With Chabot, we saw how impactful having Nick Jensen on his right side was. Hensler plays a similar game to Jensen, using smooth skating to contribute in both defensive and transitional phases of play.

The complements on both pairings seem like they should work very effectively. Obviously, both players need to reach their full potential, but they’ve already given us reasons to believe they can.

Future Development for Logan Hensler

Logan Hensler will return to Wisconsin for his sophomore season with the Badgers. He’ll be alongside fellow Senators prospects Blake Montgomery, Tyson Dyck, and Bruno Idzan.

This season, I’ll be looking for Hensler to establish himself as the clear-cut number one defenceman at Wisconsin. He should also be quarterbacking the top power-play unit.

I fully expect his production to take a step forward next season in the NCAA. He should also serve as a top-four member of Team USA at the World Junior Championship.

This season will be very exciting for Ottawa Senators fans. Be sure to tune in to Wisconsin Badgers games to get a firsthand look at the WisconSens.