The Ottawa Senators went into the 2025 NHL Draft looking to be dealt a good hand at 21, but GM Steve Staios had an ace up his sleeve.
At the Draft in Los Angeles on Friday night, Staios traded the 21st pick to Nashville for the Predators' 23rd and 67th 2025 picks. Then, with the 23rd pick, the Sens took a right-shot defenseman for the second straight year, selecting Logan Hensler from the University of Wisconsin.
Clearly, Staios was comfortable that Hensler or a player he liked equally would be available to the Sens at 23, so why not grab another pick in a deal with Nashville?
The review of Hensler from NHL.com:
Logan Hensler: 6-2½, 198/University of Wisconsin (NCAA)/No. 12-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. An October birthday, Hensler spent two seasons with the USNTDP before heading to Wisconsin, where the Minnesota native had a 2-10-12 line on a Badger team that struggled through much of the campaign. A member of the U.S. World Juniors squad that won gold, Hensler has a lot of the skills – including excellent mobility – and enough size to make it as a middle-of-the-lineup, two-way defenseman.-
The Hockey News' Tony Ferrari describes the player this way:
Hensler could be a fixture on their blueline for a decade or more because of his versatility. He’s become a reliable blueliner for Wisconsin, using his skating to play in any situation asked of him. He’s just a steady defender in all three zones.-
Hensler told TSN 1200 that he had a suspicion the Sens might be interested
"Yeah, I had a little bit of an idea," Hensler said. "I actually zoom called with them prior to the draft and it went really well. So I'm glad it all worked out. I'm super excited."
Hensler was also asked by host Gord Wilson to describe the kind of defenceman he is.
"Off ice, I'm very laid back and very easy to know and get along with everyone. And on ice, I'm a two-way defenseman. I can use my skating to get up and down nice and I have a little bit of snarl to my game and I'm gonna unlock that this next year."
Last year, the Sens chose another right-shot defenceman in Carter Yakemchuk, who was returned to junior after leading the Sens in preseason scoring last fall.
Hensler enters his second year at Wisconsin this fall, where he'll welcome London Knights forward Blake Montgomery, Ottawa's 4th-round pick from last season. 2022 Sens pick Tyson Dyck, a forward, also plays at Wisconsin. So maybe the Badgers are the new North Dakota.
All teams made their first-round picks back in their home cities, but relayed the name of their choice to a special guest or celebrity who announced the pick. Some were in LA at the draft, while others, like Ottawa's Tom Green, were on remote.
It was generally an awkward exercise in almost every case, but it was nothing compared to the bland, uncomfortable conversations between the players and the executives of their new teams. In the Sens case, the audio didn't work, so there was no televised chat with Hensler.
Here are some Hensler highlights:
LOGAN HENSLER HIGHLIGHTS - 2025 NHL Draft
Logan Hensler Scouting Report with game highlights and stats from the 24-25 season with University of Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA. Logan Hensler is one of...
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa
Banner image credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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