The Wisconsin Badgers' former defenseman Logan Hensler has jumped into first-round discussions in ESPN's latest 2025 NHL Draft Big Board, scheduled for June 27-28 in Los Angeles. According to the big board, Hensler is one of the top 15 prospects in this year's draft. And one of the top defensemen available.
While he's always been considered a first-round pick, the original board had him lower at 21, which puts him closer to round two and indicates a strong potential of slipping into the second round. However, with a top-15 rank, he's almost assuredly a first-round pick.
Logan Hensler's appeal is mostly due with a very low floor at the NHL level
Part of what makes Logan Hensler a desirable pick in the 2025 NHL Draft is that he is a safe pick. His floor is better than most of the draft prospects. ESPN says that his floor is at the lowest, "Bottom-pair defenseman," which is much better than some who project to never really make it into the NHL if they stay at their floor.
His projection is also strong as a second-pair transition defenseman, which is encouraging for teams that don't need a boom-or-bust pick but instead a steady, reliable defenseman. That is what they would get in Hensler, who could come in as a rookie and begin to give a team solid shifts.
One reason he isn't projected much higher is that he isn't projected as an all-star or a top player in the league. Most experts think that Hensler will hit his ceiling as a dependable and serviceable defenseman night in and night out.
Ahead of this week and the NHL Draft, Hensler is projected as the fourth-best defenseman in the draft, followed by top overall prospect Matthew Schaefer, who is a consensus number one pick. The next two are Jackson Smith and Radim Mrtka from the WHL.