Ahead of the Ottawa Senators' November 11th game against the Dallas Stars, Travis Green made an important lineup decision. He relegated veteran defenceman Nick Jensen to the third pairing for the first time in his Senators career.

To say the beginning of Jensen's season was not going the way anyone had hoped would be an understatement.

Through his first 16 games, the Senators generated 47.23 percent of the shots (CF%), 47.06 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 40.00 percent of the total goals (10 goals for, 15 goals against, GF%), and 43.69 percent of the expected goals (xGF%). No defenceman on the Senators had a lower xGF% than Jensen.

For the Senators to take a measured step forward, there was a belief that the team needed Jensen to resemble the player he was in the first three months of the 2024-25 season.

Through his first 16 games, Jensen failed to resemble his former self, drawing criticisms from the fan base for his performance and usage.

But no one is a bigger critic of his game than Jensen.

"I am, as probably a lot of guys are, the most critical of my game," Jensen said in an interview the day after his November 11th game against Dallas. "When I make mistakes, I'm the first one to know about it.

"I'm the first one to be holding myself accountable. I have to be better there. I wouldn't say, 'Oh, I'm super mentally strong,' but I have learned over time the approach that I like to take, and I try to take as much as possible, which is the one that will make me the most successful."

Given the magnitude of his surgery, a hip resurfacing procedure that often results in recovery periods lasting six to eight months, it was unfair and naive to believe that Jensen could play at a high level when he returned within six months after surgery.

"There is the comparison of last year," Jensen explained. "I got out to a good start right away, and it made things easy. When that happens, your confidence naturally gets a boost, and you play more confidently with the puck.

"When things are going against you, it has the opposite effect on your confidence. I keep an even keel approach; whether things are down or when things are good, you have to maintain the same approach.

"Things got out really easily last year, but this year, it was not so easy. People think it's easy because they watch (players) come in every season and perform year after year, but it's not easy. (Starting well) was the main focus of mine, and I don't think it was the same start as last year.

"People can say, 'Well, he had a major surgery, and he's back early,' but my hip feels good, and I'm hopeful things will continue to progress. Timeline-wise, I'm not even six months out from the surgery, which some people have taken six or more months to return. So there's a little bit of that that I can mentally (have confidence I will continue to progress), but my hip feels good, so I have to get my game elevated to where it should be."

Head coach Travis Green told reporters on Friday morning that he believes Jensen's game is improving.

"I think he's finding his game, (Jensen) is. He's coming off a major surgery and was back ahead of time. His game was probably a little bit rusty. He was almost playing with, I don't want to say a new part in his body, but he's getting adjusted to how he skates and his play with the puck. I think it's gotten better.

"At the end of the day, you have to play. At the beginning of the year, we were trying to get his game back and give him some rope. And yet, you're still mindful that the end of the day, you're out there to win. But his game has improved in the last five to seven games. I've liked his game. He's been better with his puck and stronger on his legs."

The NHL Edge data certainly backs the perception that Jensen is getting stronger with his skating.

Unfortunately, there is no publicly available way to track how well a player's skating has improved from one endpoint to another. Thankfully, I contrasted Jensen's NHL Edge data from his first seven games this season against his metrics from 2024-25 earlier this season.

In 2024-25:

• 78th percentile in max skating speed (22.40 mph)
• 62nd percentile in 22+ mph bursts
• 78th percentile in 20-22 mph bursts
• 88th percentile in 18-20 mph bursts

In seven games this season, here are Jensen's rankings:

• <50th percentile in max skating speed (20.34 mph)
• <50th percentile in 22+ mph bursts
• 69th percentile in 20-22 mph bursts
• 68th percentile in 18-20 mph bursts

Looking at Jensen's metrics now, his numbers have improved.

• 91st percentile in max skating speed (22.66 mph)
• 75th percentile in 22+ mph bursts
• 69th percentile in 20-22 mph bursts
• 71st percentile in 18-20 mph bursts

Jensen acknowledged that he does not feel different from how he did last season.

"Not physically, no," he admitted. "In the second half of the year, I was playing at 80 or 90 percent. That's why at a certain point this year, I thought, 'Is my hip fully recovered from surgery? Probably not, but I already feel better than I did last year in the second half of the season.

"If I can play in the league at that point,  I'm confident I can continue to play at a high level. I have to get there, but right now, it's just a confidence thing. I have my approach. Make little plays after good ones, and keep building.

Scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars in that first game, when he was relegated to the third pairing, was a cathartic moment for the defenceman.

"Scoring as a defenseman anytime is exciting," he affirmed. "They don't come very often, so you get excited anytime you score. But that was a big game, and Dallas is a good team. It was an excellent test.

"You saw that emotion we had in that game. That's the kind of excitement with that goal and everything. Goals and assists aren't my primary objectives out there, but obviously, they're part of the equation for team success, so anytime you get those, it is essential. It was a bigger building block when you can get stuff like that to help your confidence. Hopefully, I can continue to build off that. There will be setbacks along the way. I have to expect that. I have to learn how to manage it and keep doing it."

Since being moved to the third pairing, Jensen's metrics have also improved.

In his last 11 games, the Senators have generated 52.56 percent of the shots (CF%), 51.05 percent of the shots (SF%), and 61.03 percent of the expected goals (xGF%). If not for a team-worst 85.71 on ice save percentage while he is out there, the Senators would have generated a higher percentage of the total goals (40 GF%).  

Jensen is playing better, but playing a more sheltered role can afford him time to recover and an opportunity to play against lesser-skilled forwards. If the reduced role mattered to Jensen, he was not letting on.

"You're not entitled to any position in this league ever, and no one is," Jensen emphatically affirmed. "No one should feel that way. I don't care if you get paid $15 million a year. That should never be your mentality that you're entitled to a spot on the team.

"You have to earn it every game. That's the approach I've been taking, whether or not the results are there statistically, not throughout the season. I try to stay focused on keeping that approach, no matter what."

Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News - Ottawa

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