Getting to Know Nick Jensen

Nick Jensen was traded to the Senators from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Jakob Chychrun, and a 2026 3rd round pick.  He is entering into year two of a three contract that pays him $4,050,000 per season. The soon to be 34 year old is a 6-foot-1, 205 pound, right shot defenseman. 

Read More: Getting to Know David Perron

His Role With the Capitals

Jensen arrived in Washington in a trade from the Detroit Red Wings in 2019. He has played at least 76 games and averaged at least 19:20 time on ice per game in each of the last three seasons. Last season, he scored one goal and 14 points in 78 games. Among Capitals defensemen, he ranked fourth in time on ice per game, and first in shorthanded time on ice per game. He was fourth amongst their defensemen in hits with 62, and second in block shots with 123. He was heavily relied on for the defensive side of the ice, receiving next to no power play minutes and receiving just 41.5% offensive zone starts at 5 on 5, the lowest among regular Capital defensemen. His most common partners were Rasmus Sandin and Joel Edmundson. In previous seasons, he had found high levels of success playing with Dmitri Orlov. 

His Style of Play

Jensen wins with his defensive effort. He’s tasked with taking on the opponents top lines, and killing a lot of penalties. He is a solid skater and can move the puck out of the zone well. He won’t contribute a ton offensively, but he’s not a black hole in that regard. He’s not overly physical but with his size, effort level, and intelligence, he’s not an easy player to play against. 

His Role With the Senators

Jensen is slated to play a similar role with the Senators as he did with the Capitals. Expect him to eat up 18-20 minutes per game. He’ll be looked at to kill penalties and to start from the defensive zone on many shifts. He won’t be asked to produce big offensive numbers, but in a top four role, he will need to show solid puck moving abilities. Finding chemistry with either Jake Sanderson or Thomas Chabot will be important. 

Bottom Line

The Senators defense last year, while talented, did not work as a cohesive unit. They were soft, and lacking in defensive minded defensemen. They also had too many left shots, and not enough right shots. Jensen, on paper, is a great fit. He won’t need power play minutes, and he’ll help with the defensive side of things. He’s coming off a lesser season, but perhaps pairing up with either Chabot or Sanderson can help rejuvenate his game. The question with Jensen is whether he ends up more like a second Zub, or a second Hamonic.