As we settle into the 20s in our ranking, we’re back to introduce Logan Hensler, an intriguing presence in this middle of the first round group of defenders.
Having made the jump to the college level early, Hensler wrapped up his freshman season at Wisconsin earlier this spring, and despite the team struggling to put together positive results on a collective level, Hensler settled in nicely as the season went on. And despite some lackluster counting stats at both the NCAA and World Junior levels this year, there’s a lot to like in the complete package Hensler brings, and he could be a intriguing option for a team looking to add a well-balanced defender into the mix in their prospect pool.
Pre-draft rankings
No. 12 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)
No. 15 by Elite Prospects
No. 11 by TSN/Bob McKenzie
No. 15 by Daily Faceoff
Bio
DOB: October 14, 2006
Birthplace: Woodbury, MN
Position: RHD
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 196 lbs
Shoots: Right
Statistics
What’s there to like?
Hensler was projected to go in the top-10 on a number of lists heading into this season, and even if he didn’t have quite the season that some of those pundits might have been expecting, it’s still clear why he came into this year so highly touted. The most basic of whys here is the fact that he’s a right shooting defenseman with good size — it is basic, but there’s always going to be value in a player who ticks those boxes, without fail.
Of course, there’s much more to his game than just that. He’s particularly effective in his rush defense, in his ability to keep pace well with opponents and having shown some strength in breaking up plays not just when they’ve already made it into his defensive zone, but also in stepping up to break up those chances in the neutral zone before they have a chance to become dangerous. This is valuable in isolation, to be sure, but particularly within the scope of the modern game which often feels like it’s trending more rush-based. Beyond that, this in-zone defense, too, is solid, if not overly flashy. His most-utilized tool (at times to excess) is a good active stick, and while there are certainly times when he could do well to make a stronger secondary effort if the initial play fails, he has still shown that he can engage physically and has asserted himself as a strong player along the boards who can put in that work to get pucks off of opponents.
In all areas of his game, his skating is an asset. While he’s not an outright burner, his stride is smooth and he’s able to get up to a good speed with relative ease, even if it’s not absolutely scorching. The mechanics of his stride overall are strong, and he’s mobile in all four directions, which allows him to close gaps on puck carriers efficiently, while giving him a bit of slipperiness when he’s the one carrying the puck.
There hasn’t been heaps of offense showing in Hensler’s game, but he’s brought some interesting flashes of both individual offense but also work to support his teammates in this area. His strong skating makes him an option to help create some rush plays on his own, freeing up space for the forwards to get into more dangerous shooting positions. He has some good power in his shot, but he’s struggled a bit to actually get those pucks through traffic and on net. His hands in close, too, look like they could be something, and he’s shown some flashes as well of looking dynamic when he’s activating in the offensive zone, so there does still seem to be some notable finesse to his game. Along with that, he’s been more consistent in his ability to find teammates in space on long passes to stretch the ice, and in-zone, he can make those nice little chip passes in closer quarters to keep cycles alive. Overall, too, he shows good patience with the puck, and protects it well when he does have it.
And, back in the big picture, despite his Badgers team finishing the season second from the bottom in their conference, there’s still value to him being “ahead of the curve” developmentally, having gotten those significant college minutes already in his draft year, and gotten a jump on developing himself physically in a college program, playing against much older players.
What’s not to like?
I like the blurb on him from Dobber Prospects, describing him as a “mobile rush defender with the ability (though not always the inclination) to move the puck with his feet,” and I think that’s pretty succinct. This is to say that there’s some really notable tools here for Hensler, but he’s had some trouble putting them all together on a consistent basis. And while this isn’t expressly a negative — none of these players are coming out of their draft year as fully formed professionals, after all — it does leave some questions for teams looking to pick him up as to how to approach his development. Is it going to take a firmer hand from their staff — and do they think their staff is best suited for this in the first place — or do they trust him to be able to develop well on a Wisconsin team that has not been the strongest in developing players over this last little while. He’s a prospect that needs some developing, and it will be a balancing act to make sure he gets it, too be sure.
His situation has more question marks than outright negatives, it feels safe to say, and another is around his upside, generally speaking. That is, as we mentioned above, Hensler shows some real flashes of positive playmaking and generally high-end play, but that’s all it’s been, only flashes. More often, he can be seen hanging back a bit in the offensive zone and not being quite so involved. Now, some of this might be confidence related, and one wonders if this might be a case of being on a struggling team can foster a more conservative game in young players, as they’re afraid to make mistakes. It’s hard to say whether this is or is not for sure the case, but it will be interesting to see how things trend for him next season, as Wisconsin looks to take a step forward. But, for now, we’re left at something of a strange limbo point, where we see a player in Hensler who has some interesting tools, but hasn’t been able to fully actualize his game to move into the realm of the truly exciting. There might well be potential for more, but that’s hard to call a sure thing at the moment, which means if he’s taken high in this draft, it will be by someone taking a bit of a swing on him.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
The question of fit here is definitely an interesting one. The Flyers are pretty flush with smaller, more offensive minded defensemen in their system, and while that’s certainly not a bad excess to have, they’ve been making what feels like a concerted effort over these last couple of years to balance out the pool a bit, adding a bit more size, and adding a bit more defensive steadiness. In this regard, Hensler would be a good add for them — while there is clearly some level of offensive instinct in him, his game leans more in the defense-first direction, and in him they could find a nice bit of defensive stability to anchor a pair and allow a more offensively minded partner some more space to work.
The question, though, becomes whether the team would feel confident enough that his production would set him apart enough from the others in the pipeline to justify a reasonably high pick. That is, the Flyers have a not insignificant group of defense prospects in the pipeline who are in the “might pan out to be a decent depth option at the NHL level, but we’ll see” kind of department, and if the Flyers have some belief that they could tap into more of his potential, there could be a fit there, but if they’re more on the side of some of the more skeptical pundits and think he might be of a similar ilk, the pick might be better spent elsewhere.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
As far as the projections go, Hensler’s hanging out in that kind of murky middle zone where it looks like there isn’t a whole lot of consensus around where these players will go, and a whole lot of potential ways things could break. With that in mind, there’s certainly some real potential that he’ll still be on the board when the Flyers’ later first-round picks roll around, but equally, there’s potential that another team will have grabbed him up in the early teens, well out of their reach. So it goes.
What scouts are saying
“I see an NHL player in Hensler, but I’m not sure exactly what he’ll do there. He’s mobile, there’s some skill there, and he’s got some good defensive fundamentals, especially on defensive cycles and on the physical side. His metrics across the board are… fine? He’s a smart, safe passer who has had some eyebrow-raising moments in the offensive zone to create chances, he doesn’t pepper the net with shots to get cheap production, and his defensive transition metrics are solid. As a safe, shutdown guy down your lineup, there’s a future there, but you see moments of something more… I just don’t know what the end result is. He’s gotten better as the year has worn on looking more comfortable at NCAA pace, connecting on more passes and gaining some offensive zone confidence. Wisconsin remains a perplexing team/program so I’m not sure how much that factors into what is holding Hensler back, but I felt his World Junior performance was pretty ho-hum, and I’m always a little bit wary of “good at lots of stuff but great at nothing” profiles projecting to high-end NHL roles. He’s got the size, physical edge, skating ability and simple execution on the puck to find some kind of job, but where he goes in the draft? I have no clue but anywhere in the range of this tier would not surprise me in the slightest. He’s improved over the season quite a lot, looking more fluid, mobile and assertive which is a welcome development.”
—Will Scouch, scouching.ca
“Hensler defends with discipline and intelligence, maintaining strong gaps and showing excellent positioning in his own zone. He reads plays well, stays composed under pressure, and consistently makes smart decisions with the puck. While he isn’t going to rack up big offensive numbers, his mobility allows him to retrieve pucks efficiently and make clean zone exits, which is a critical trait for modern defensemen.
“Hensler is a puck-moving, two-way defender who plays a safe and consistent game. He brings stability to his own end, and coaches can rely on him in all situations, though his offensive output has been somewhat lacking this season. While he has never been a major offensive presence, I did expect a little more. What stands out is his overall presence—he plays safely, isn’t overly noticeable on the ice, but consistently does all the right things. He moves the puck extremely well and is a reliable presence on every shift. In this game, Hensler was once again consistent, reliable, and not particularly visible in a flashy way. He initiated many breakouts but rarely joined the attack in a meaningful way.
—Samuel Tirpak, FCHockey
One player departs, another joins the mix. Today’s addition to the poll is the, shall we say, worldly center Ivan Ryabkin:
“Ryabkin is a wild card to keep an eye on in the first round. It’s a realistic thought that a team will be more aggressive and call his name before this slot. My concerns regarding Ryabkin’s ability to create offence, and score goals, is minimal. What I’m more concerned about is his fitness – which is a choice – and the overall pace he plays the game. When the game is more predictable, and in control for his team, Ryabkin’s skill definitely shines on the power play. It’s undeniable that he’s coming into his own at the USHL level, however, and his stats don’t lie. Ryabkin has 7G-4A in his most recent 10-game segment.”
—Jason Bukala, Sportsnet
