Heading into the 2024-25 season, Hensler was regarded as a top prospect in his class – even more so heading into the season prior. He had over 0.5 PPG in the USHL and NTDP in both his D-2 and D-1 seasons – a rare rate for defensemen at that age. If Hensler had taken the steps expected of him, he almost certainly would have been drafted much higher than 23rd overall.

Selected 23rd overall, Logan Hensler is now a member of the Ottawa Senators.

The mobile defender from Wisconsin has bounced up and down on our draft board. Hensler’s tools are undeniable—a right-handed defenseman with a good frame and excellent skating ability—and they’ve kept him firmly in our first round all season long. While we would have liked to see more from him, especially as an offensive creator, his game improved as the season went on, and we’re pretty confident there’s an NHLer there. His development and how he utilizes his tools will ultimately decide whether he plays as a mobile second-pairing defender or settles into more of a supporting role on the third pairing.

There was a lot of handwringing about Hensler’s lack of production to start the year. Even though he hasn’t changed into an offensive force, thanks in part to a steady performance at the WJC, we’re still high on his upside.

What makes this 6-3, right-shot defenseman special – beyond the size and handedness teams crave – is his skating. Even for a typically mobile defenseman, one with a smaller frame, Hensler is a very agile, very strong skater – and he is not small. This trait, combined with offensive and defensive IQ, makes Hensler a constant obstacle for attackers. He is aggressive, pressuring and outpacing forwards pushing the neutral zone. His defense-first game and four-way mobility often manufacture turnovers and put him in ideal positions to distribute from the D-zone, creating offense. The offense would see a stark improvement if Hensler could identify and attack shooting lanes more. His shot has power, but he often struggles to find open lanes, leading to frequent blocks.

While his awareness and defensive engagement are elite, Hensler often relies too heavily on his stick. An added layer of physicality would give opposing forwards one more thing to think about before making their play. The tools are high-end; the missing pieces – using the body, lane recognition – are teachable. Next year, Hensler should improve on his 12 points through 32 NCAA games, and that will dictate his trajectory as either a middle-pairing two-way defenseman or a top-pairing rover.

Final Rankings – Logan Hensler has been a hard one to figure out. With his great skating and NHL-level tools, it’s fairly easy to project him to play in the NHL at some capacity. Based on the flashes of offensive upside, we believe that with continued development, he could grow into a puck-moving second-pair defenseman.—

Hensler’s greatest strength is his rush defense, which is easily among the best in the class. He’s proactive in breaking up plays in both the neutral zone and when pinching. Hensler has a very timely defensive stick and closes gaps in a smooth, controlled fashion.

Standing at a lanky 6-2, what defensive areas Hensler does need to shore up can largely be accomplished by growing into his frame and building that strength. As Hensler is such a strong defensive base to build on, we feel confident projecting him as a top four defender.