RD Logan Hensler - USNTDP, USHL (2025 Draft)

[Bonin21]

That is kind of scary because he is going to get exposed a lot more at NHL level

Good lord, he's a freshman. Give him two more years and you don't think he'll learn?

 

[DigitalBoldy]

That is kind of scary because he is going to get exposed a lot more at NHL level

It is also the easiest to fix of the issues he has.

I would say the big difference is that Buium has a flashier and more junior style game that gets him more fans and succeeds more outside of pro hockey, but Hensler has similar (probably a little less, but relative to his ceiling a higher floor) potential.

I don’t agree at all that he plays a more junior style game. That wreaks of stat watching. When Wisconsin played Denver, Buium was not super noticeable at even strength (good or bad). He made the right plays and had good gaps/solid defensive positioning. Not overpowering but also not weak. Didn’t cheat into the offensive zone or make dumb pinches. His game looked way more pro ready than Hensler’s game. Unless you mean that Zeev is more top 4 or bust whereas Hensler could stick in the NHL as a 6/7 tweener? I guess I don’t follow what you are saying.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I don’t agree at all that he plays a more junior style game. That wreaks of stat watching. When Wisconsin played Denver, Buium was not super noticeable at even strength (good or bad). He made the right plays and had good gaps/solid defensive positioning. Not overpowering but also not weak. Didn’t cheat into the offensive zone or make dumb pinches. His game looked way more pro ready than Hensler’s game. Unless you mean that Zeev is more top 4 or bust whereas Hensler could stick in the NHL as a 6/7 tweener? I guess I don’t follow what you are saying.

Buium is a star in college hockey (and when he's played junior tournaments).

But what is he when he gets to the NHL? Is he a star 1D who is good at every part of the game? Or is he a slightly flawed 2D who has some major strengths, but also some weaknesses? Is that much better than a lower event player such as Hensler who will be a 3D? Hypothetically speaking, of course.

 

[Bonin21]

Buium is a star in college hockey (and when he's played junior tournaments).

But what is he when he gets to the NHL? Is he a star 1D who is good at every part of the game? Or is he a slightly flawed 2D who has some major strengths, but also some weaknesses? Is that much better than a lower event player such as Hensler who will be a 3D? Hypothetically speaking, of course.

He is a first line partner to Brock Faber for 10 years...

 

[DigitalBoldy]

Buium is a star in college hockey (and when he's played junior tournaments).

But what is he when he gets to the NHL? Is he a star 1D who is good at every part of the game? Or is he a slightly flawed 2D who has some major strengths, but also some weaknesses? Is that much better than a lower event player such as Hensler who will be a 3D? Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Buium will probably be a 2D next to Faber. Hensler is a long shot to be a 3D, which is my initial problem with your analogy.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

Ok, let’s wrap up the shift-by-shift. So far after two periods, Hensler is CLEARLY Wisconsin’s best defender after 21 shifts, with allowing Mastrodomenico to get a step on him down the wing on Danny Nelson's 4-1 goal in P2 being Hensler's only critical error. Definitely not a low-IQ play, as the law of averages says every defender -- Makar, Hughes, Hanifin included -- will have a guy get around them at least once a game. Still, he's had a great game thus far defensively.

Through two periods, I count Hensler 18-for-18 on pass accuracy (short+long), i.e., no turnovers passing the puck. Elite level.

P3 (Notre Dame up 4-1)


@0:51 — Hensler jumps over the boards with the puck entering the Notre Dame zone right after the Dexheimer-Kehrer pairing gave up an HD chance to Janicke in the low slot that Tommy Scarfone turned aside. Fitzgerald on the move ends up turning the puck over and Notre Dame counters for an entry, but Hensler’s stick-on-puck not only pokes it away from Cole Knuble while he’s dialing up a wrister, but he has the presence of mind for a quick pass to #10 Hunter Strand for a clean exit and an entry/net-rush by Quinn Finley that nearly went in. Yet another example of smart defending by Hensler and he almost earned a secondary assist. Notre Dame counters and Henlser stands up at his line, deflecting Mastrodomenico’s pass down the boards. Notre Dame later had a deep look but Mastrodomenico’s wrister from the right circle went way wide and cleared, allowing Hensler to change.

@2:43 — Notre Dame ices it for an offensive-zone draw for Hensler, but puck goes out of play and Hastings brings back the Dexheimer-Kehrer pairing after just 31 seconds. Hensler was at the right point the whole shift and nothing materialized.

@4:26 — Offensive-zone draw to the right of the Irish cage but puck gets cleared to center, where Hensler retreats under forecheck pressure and delivers a pair of passes from his own end into space while under pressure — one is a clear allowing Wisconsin to change forwards and the other is a look-off rim from corner to corner to facilitate the breakout before going off for a change. Again, Hensler clearly shows he is Wisconsin’s surest-handed and most reliable defender up to the midway point of the third period.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

Last four shifts of the game. The Badgers basically gave up in the third period and their lack of skill up front is clear. Had a 5-min major and did nothing with it.

@7:15 — Hensler and Palodichuk hop over the boards with the puck deep in the Irish end. Irish counter quickly for an exit and entry, but Hensler gaps up on #24 Ian Murphy down the left wing and deflects his attempted centering pass. Hensler sticks with Murphy around the Wisconsin net before releasing bqck to low slot as puck is dumped into the far corner. Hensler gets caught puck-watching and doesn’t shoulder-check, leaving Murphy open in the low slot for the 5-1 goal, with Biondi making a sweet pass and Murphy having all the time in the world to go backhand-forehand-roofjob from in tight. Totally Hensler's fault as Palodichuk had Biondi covered behind the net. Scarfone is yanked.

@10:31 — Irish with the puck in their own end as both teams execute changes. Puck gets worked into the Badger end on Palodichuk’s side off a chip-and-chase, forcing Hensler to release and cover Carter Slaggert for a 50/50 that deflects the puck behind the Wisconsin net. Irish eventually collect the puck and try to work the cycle but a turnover up high gives Owen Lindmark a clean break-in down the right wing but puck bounced off his stick as he cut toward the middle. Puck would clear to center, where Hensler dished it to Dexheimer for a rush entry before changing.

@11:34 — Badgers on a 5-min power play and Hensler starts on PP2 for the neutral-zone draw. Irish clear and Hensler retrieves for an end-to-end skate and 2-on-3 entry, but he’s rubbed out hard by Mastrodomenico as he circled behind the Irish net for a clear. At first it appeared that Hensler could have peeled back at the half-wall and hit his point man, but the Badger forwards were late to support and #11 Danny Nelson was in the area to make it a 2-on-4. Not the greatest decision but Henlser’s forwards should have given him more options.

@13:32 — Badger net is empty for a 6-on-4 PP and close to two minutes remaining on the major. Hensler has to race back in a 50/50 to retrieve a deep empty-netter attempt and is immediately pressured behind his net by Janicke who takes the puck away before giving it up himself, allowing Wisconsin to exit. Badgers set up and Palodichuk and Hensler play catch before the latter fires a quick wrister from the center point that redirects into the corner. Smart read by Hensler to anticipate the rim and makes a tough keep-in at the far point before gliding into the right circle for a heavy wrister that goes wide. Irish eventually clear after a Quinn Finley miss and a visibly-gassed Hensler goes the length of the ice to retrieve the puck before heading for a change. This would be his last shift of the game.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

OK @DigitalBoldy, so to recap Hensler's 2/23 game against Notre Dame (a 6-1 loss):

-Hensler had 28 shifts and nearly all were 5v5 or 4v4 (none on PK, few on PP2)
-He completed 21-of-21 passes (short & long) without a single turnover
-He was 5-for-5 on exits with his skating and 3-for-3 on entries, but one later resulted in a turnover and clear.
-He was partly responsible for one goal scored (3-1) and one goal against (4-1), and directly responsible for one goal against (5-1).
-The penalty he was called for was entirely his partner's fault, as was the 3-0 goal against.
-He exhibited solid dzone or man coverage 17 times and blew coverage twice.
-He showed good gap control nine times and poor gap control twice.
-He made 14 high-IQ decisions with or without the puck versus four low-IQ plays.

To summarize, Hensler was Wisconsin's best defender in a game they had no business winning and were mostly lifeless on offense. His partner Palodichuk was the worst, but he was coming off an injury and was likely rusty. The Badger forwards outside of Quinn Finley were almost entirely ineffective at generating quality chances.

Any NHL scout worth his salt would not deduce Hensler had a bad game unless he was drunk, on his phone, or had an axe to grind.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

OK @DigitalBoldy, so to recap Hensler's 2/23 game against Notre Dame (a 6-1 loss):

-Hensler had 28 shifts and nearly all were 5v5 or 4v4 (none on PK, few on PP2)
-He completed 21-of-21 passes (short & long) without a single turnover
-He was 5-for-5 on exits with his skating and 3-for-3 on entries, but one later resulted in a turnover and clear.
-He was partly responsible for one goal scored (3-1) and one goal against (4-1), and directly responsible for one goal against (5-1).
-The penalty he was called for was entirely his partner's fault, as was the 3-0 goal against.
-He exhibited solid dzone or man coverage 17 times and blew coverage twice.
-He showed good gap control nine times and poor gap control twice.
-He made 14 high-IQ decisions with or without the puck versus four low-IQ plays.

To summarize, Hensler was Wisconsin's best defender in a game they had no business winning and were mostly lifeless on offense. His partner Palodichuk was the worst, but he was coming off an injury and was likely rusty. The Badger forwards outside of Quinn Finley were almost entirely ineffective at generating quality chances.

Any NHL scout worth his salt would not deduce Hensler had a bad game unless he was drunk, on his phone, or had an axe to grind.

Great work buddy. Love your passion for the game.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

-The penalty he was called for was entirely his partner's fault, as was the 3-0 goal against.

I mean, you can say things like this but Hensler could 100% not get smoked by the ND player right here:

He coasted for 1-2 seconds in the neutral zone then went “oh shit that ND player went flying past me!”

It’s just built into your bias that nothing is Hensler’s fault.

 

[MNRube]

Buium is a star in college hockey (and when he's played junior tournaments).

But what is he when he gets to the NHL? Is he a star 1D who is good at every part of the game? Or is he a slightly flawed 2D who has some major strengths, but also some weaknesses? Is that much better than a lower event player such as Hensler who will be a 3D? Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Weren’t you just in the Hutson thread talking about how his shutdown work at the WJC foreshadowed his versatility as an NHLer? Buium has virtually the exact resume, just with more points and more championships.