NHL Draft: Senators Select Logan Hensler 23rd Overall

With the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators selected defenseman Logan Hensler! Originally picking 21st, the Senators traded back two spots to pick up an additional third round pick, 67th overall, from the Nashville Predators. Hensler played last season with the University of Wisconsin scoring two goals and 12 points in 32 games. Some good news, the awkward and drawn-out first round of the NHL Draft is finally coming to an end! That can be left alone for now, though. Let’s stay focused on the Senators side of things, and dive into the details on Logan Hensler.

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By the Numbers

Hensler is a 6’2″, 192 lbs right shot defenseman. He will turn 19 in October. Last year, in addition to his 32 games with Wisconsin, he also played 7 games with USA at the World Juniors, helping the Americans win gold as a depth defenseman. He spent the two years prior playing with the United States National Development team. He was ranked 15th in Bob McKenzie’s final draft rankings.

A Look Ahead

As of now, Hensler does not have a stand-out trait, but he doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses, either. He is seen as a steady d-man that plays a two-way game. He battles hard and skates well. The next step for Hensler is to improve as a puck mover and with his offensive game. Last season, he made the tough jump as one of the youngest players into the NCAA, all the while playing for a bad Wisconsin team. Next season, he will return to the University of Wisconsin for his second season with the Badgers. With a strong start there, he should also return to Team USA at next year’s World Junior Tournament, where he will hopefully have the opportunity at an increased role.

Final Thoughts

This was a fairly predictable Senators draft pick. So much so, that even I had Hensler on my shortlist of who they’d likely take with their first round pick! Staios has shown what he’s looking for when it comes to building this team. He wants to be tough to play against, which means bringing in players with size, physicality, and some toughness to them. Hensler fits that description quite well.

The word safe is used in describing Hensler. If you’re looking for flash and excitement, he’s probably not the pick for you. But the word safe could also be used for the likes of Marc Methot and Artem Zub. Those types of players can help a team win, even without the razzle-dazzle to their game.

The Senators will finish out the rest of the draft with two picks in the third round, and one pick in each round four through seven.