Hensler, West chosen in first round of NHL Draft

by Bryan Zollman, Let’s Play Hockey

Logan Hensler, a defenseman at the University of Wisconsin who played youth hockey in Woodbury and high school hockey at Hill-Murray before going Team USA’s development program, was drafted in the first round Friday by the Ottawa Senators with the 23rd overall pick.

Hensler was the first Minnesota player to go in the first round since the 2023 draft when Oliver Moore of Mounds View and Charlie Stramel of Rosemount, were chosen No. 19 and N0. 21, respectively.  Last season, the top Minnesotan off the board was Chaska native Adam Kleber, chosen by Buffalo  with the 42nd pick of the draft.

Like Kleber, Hensler possesses size and skill and is coming off a strong freshman season at the University of Wisconsin where he played in 32 games and logged two goals and 10 assists. More of a defender than an offensive threat, Hensler is 6’2″ and 196 pounds. He also suited up for the World Junior squad this past season.

“Long, thick and tough. Offensive game promised more, but not yet delivered. Upon that, sky is the limit for this steady, puck-moving neutralizer,” said one regional scout.

Mason West squeezed into the first round with the No. 29 pick by the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks traded up to get West, a 6’5″ center who recently committed to Michigan State. West is one of the younger players in this year’s draft having just completed his junior season at Edina where he notched 27 goals and 22 assists for the Hornets.

West is also a football star and was highly recruited in both hockey and football, but recently announced he will choose hockey for his future. He will still play his senior football season this fall, but announced he will forego his senior hockey season with he Hornets and instead play a full season in the USHL where he excelled in 10 games this spring with nine points in 10 games for the Fargo Force.

“Wins faceoffs and possesses puck as if it were made of gold,” said a regional scout. “Long, athletic playmaker is a glider with extreme reach and wiry leverage. More facilitator than finisher, West possesses high-velocity snaps, but full motion of it needs immediacy.  The late D-O-B  provides a longer development runway, but his ceiling is unlimited. Think more Bjugstad than Anders Lee.”

West was the Blackhawks third pick of the first round. They also had the No. 3 overall pick and chose Anton Fondrell, a center form Sweden, who has lofty projections. With their 25th overall pick they chose right winger Vaclav Nestrasil.

The No. 1 overall pick in the draft was defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Schaefer played last season for Erie in the Ontario Hockey League.

Twenty one of the 32 picks in the first round hailed from the Canadian Hockey League with nine each from the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.

West was the lone high school player chosen in the first round and Hensler was the second of five NCAA players chosen. James Hagens of Boston College went No. 7 overall. Will Horcoff of Michigan was chosen 24th overall, Sascha Boumedienne of Boston University was taken with the 28th pick, and Cullen Potter of Arizona State was picked at No. 32.

Rounds two through seven will take place Saturday.