Senators select Logan Hensler No. 23 overall in 2025 NHL Draft
A Big Ten defender is now off the board, as the Ottawa Senators selected Logan Hensler with the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft at The Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The Senators acquired this pick, along with the 67th overall pick in this year’s draft, in a trade with the Nashville Predators, where the Sens gave the Predators the No. 21 selection. The Preds took Kitchener Rangers defender Cameron Reid with that pick.
The Woodbury, Minn., native scored two goals and recorded 10 assists for 12 points and 50 blocked shots in 32 games during his freshman season at the University of Wisconsin. He was the youngest player on the team during the 2024-25 season.
The right-handed defender spent two seasons with the U.S. National Development team, scoring eight goals and 28 assists for 36 points in 65 games during that time.
Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis rated Hensler as his 18th-ranked prospect in his final 2025 NHL Draft rankings, saying the 6-foot-2 blueliner is a “mobile blueliner who has good reach and can rough guys up.”
“You won’t confuse him for a puck-rushing offensive defenseman,” Ellis said. “I think there’s a good chance he becomes a second-pairing defenseman who plays a safe defensive game, but I’d like to see him take more chances with the puck.”
Ellis also ranked Hensler as his fifth-highest defensive prospect in his final rankings.
In a May 16 interview with RG’s James Murphy, Hensler says when he was growing up in Minnesota, he tried to play like former Minnesota Wild defender Brent Burns, but now he models his game off an Ottawa Senator.
“Right now, though, it’s Jake Sanderson. He’s such a complete player and can do pretty much anything,” Hensler said. “I love how he’s explosive but can also simplify his game out there when he needs to.”
Internationally, Hensler represented the U.S. at the 2025 World Junior Championship, recording one assist in seven games, helping the Americans win gold. He also helped the U.S. earn a silver medal at the 2024 IIHF Under-18 World Championships.
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