Logan Hensler made the transition from the United States National Team Development Program to the NCAA for his draft season. Despite starting his freshman campaign a few days before turning 18, he played almost 20 minutes in his debut and recorded his first point with an assist. That ice time didn’t last as he, understandably, had some issues on defence at a higher level of play, but was still averaging about 17 minutes minutes per game as the first semester came to a close.
Date of Birth: October 14, 2006
Birthplace: Woodbury, Minnesota
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 192 lbs.
Position: Defence
Shoots: Right
Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
A big part of the American team that won silver at the World Under-18 Championship in 2024, Hensler was named to Team USA for the 2025 World Juniors and came away from the tournament in Ottawa with gold medal. Immediately upon returning to Wisconsin he scored his first NCAA goal, and added a second one two games later.
Perhaps that sudden burst of goal-scoring after posting a high of five at any level outside of high school caused him to get away from his game somewhat. Contributing seven assists in 17 games leading up to the World Juniors, he had just three points in the final dozen matches of Wisconsin’s season.
His minutes and responsibilities did increase in the 2025 portion of the campaign, playing more than 18 minutes in 10 of the final 15 games. He may have tried a bit too hard to score, but a player testing himself to see what he is capable of is one of the main points the college development route. Contributing offence via assists is something he’s always excelled at, so adding that personal finish would boost his chances of making the NHL.
Even without the ability to end an offensive play himself, he has plenty to offer. Not only is he a coveted right-shot defenceman with a big frame to build upon over the next several years, he’s an effective player in the other two zones of the ice.
Strengths
Hensler is an excellent skater, and that benefits him in all facets of the game. Forwards can’t beat him by attacking with speed as he matches their pace and forces them to stay on the outside. He can also easily win races to the puck when it gets along the boards. A powerful stride and quick acceleration allow him to carry the puck out of the zone himself, and his speed advantage over most of the opponents he faced encouraged him to just keep going over the offensive blue line as well.
Up to speed, he will glide around the perimeter of the attacking zone waiting for a lane to appear to a teammate’s stick. He has quick wrists to make a play before the defenders can react, giving his teammates prime scoring chances. That vision also applies when more stationary at the blue line as he snaps passes to his forwards.
Because he’s rarely forced to chase the play he doesn’t end up getting penalized often. Outside of a five-minute major and a game misconduct for grabbing an opponent’s facemask, he had 12 penalty minutes in 37 games played, and such low totals feature throughout his developmental years. For a player whose base is his ability to play on his own half of the ice, that discipline will be important to carry over to the NHL level.
Weaknesses
The reason his goal totals are so low is that his preferred method of putting the puck on net is a slapshot, and the mechanics of it are janky and incomplete. It looks more like he’s using a wedge than a driver, and it’s a slow, predictable motion. At best it gets the puck to bounce off a body and to a teammate for a shot from closer range as it’s not a dangerous option on its own. When he chooses a wristshot instead, it’s quicker and more accurate, catching defenders off-guard. He could probably improve his slapshot with instruction on better form, but goal-scoring likely won’t ever be a significant part of his game.
You might expect a player who is as good a skater and passer to have more than 10 assists, but he had the misfortune of playing on a team that was far from an offensive force; these weren’t Cole Caufield’s Wisconsin Badgers. Only Notre Dame scored fewer goals among the Big 10 teams, and Hensler’s 12 points ranked eighth on the roster.
Offence will likely grow simply by playing with better finishers, but his defensive flaws he will need to improve on his own. He did struggle with making decisions quickly in his own zone when under pressure, holding onto the puck too long or making an ill-advised pass. This is something the various scouting outlets say improved a lot this season, and he worked on some new techniques to get the puck out of corners and heading up the ice.
His defence mostly relies on his mobility to get to the puck and his stick to battle for it. Despite being 6’2″ and 192 pounds, he doesn’t use his size to his advantage as much as he could. He tries to make skilled plays more than physical ones, which can and do work for him, but incorporating his size into his defensive skills will be important to reach his ceiling.
Rankings
Elite Prospects: #17
FC Hockey: #27
Hockey Prospect: #17
McKeen’s: #25
Bob McKenzie (TSN): #15
Corey Pronman (The Athletic): #26
Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): #20
Projection
The skill set Hensler currently possesses is already good enough for him to project as an NHLer, and that high floor is perhaps the main reason for his placement among the top 25 prospects in the draft class. He’s not just a first-pass defenceman who hands the puck off to his forwards and plays no further role in the play. He can carry a puck up ice and even lead the play with his skating and stick-handling abilities. He could be a complement to either a physical defenceman who lacks footspeed or an offensive blue-liner who needs some help in his own end.
His passing ability will lead to points, and he will likely enjoy more success in the NHL with players better at getting open to receive the puck and at putting it in the net. He could become a power-play quarterback, but will be one who isn’t a threat to score, and that will allow the opponents to focus on the forwards instead. With his vision and quickness, he should still find success even with that limitation.
How high he can play in a lineup will depend on how his decision-making and physical play come along. He is still a project on that front, and would benefit from playing the full four years of a college career to work on those details before turning pro.
The progress he showed in his first season in the NCAA will be enticing for a lot of teams, and it’s hard to pass up the chance to add a right-shot defenceman to your prospect pool given their rarity. It’s unlikely Hensler becomes elite at any aspect of his position, but he could become a reliable option on the back end whose smooth skating ability prevents him from getting fatigued in heavy minutes, and will even turn defence into offence and contribute a few points along the way.
