At the 2025 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators made one pick in the first round. The Senators traded back to the 23rd overall spot in the draft with the Nashville Predators after originally holding the 21st overall pick. With the 23rd overall pick, the Senators selected defenseman Logan Hensler.
Although Hensler recorded 12 points in 32 games at the University of Wisconsin in the 2024-25 season as an 18-year-old, Hensler still received high praise. Hockey analyst Kevin Weekes said that Hensler "looked like a veteran in college hockey," and Hensler had a comparison of Charlie McAvoy back in April.
"He looked like a veteran in college hockey," Kevin Weekes on Hensler
— Jake Ferraro (@18Jxxx18) June 28, 2025
Wisconsin is a proud hockey school full of history. In a twist, history shows the Senators have some lucky history on their side with having Wisconsin first-round draft picks.
Sens legends Heatley and Turris were first-round draft picks out of Wisconsin
In school history, Wisconsin has had 19 players be drafted in the first round of an NHL Draft with Hensler now being the newest. Two of Wisconsin's first-round draft picks to play for the Senators were Dany Heatley and Kyle Turris. Both of them are Senators legends, and it can put history on their side with Hensler now being the newest Senator who was a first-round draft pick from Wisconsin.
Heatley was drafted with the second overall pick in the 2000 NHL Draft by the then Atlanta Thrashers. Heatley wouldn't play for the Senators until the 2005-06 season, but his four seasons in Ottawa were memorable.
Heatley recorded 362 points in 317 games as a Senator. Heatley's career in Ottawa was highlighted by back-to-back 50-goal seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07. Of course, 2007 was special for Heatley and the Senators as he helped guide the Senators to the Stanley Cup Finals.
For Turris, he was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft by the then Phoenix Coyotes. Turris wouldn't join the Senators until December 2011 when the Coyotes traded him away.
Turris would spend seven seasons in Ottawa and would become a Senators legend. The Senators made the playoffs four times with Turris on the team. The most special year with Turris on the team was 2017 when the Senators reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
Turris' tenure in Ottawa ended in November 2017 when he was traded to the Predators in part of the infamous Matt Duchene three-team trade. In 407 games as a Senator, Turris recorded 274 points.
Hensler was part of the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2025. Now, Hensler will be eager to show the Senators what he can bring to the team.