Hensler, Idžan set for Friday-Saturday NHL Draft in Los Angeles
June 25, 2025 | Men's Hockey
Rising sophomore defenseman Hensler projected as a first-round pick
LOS ANGELES – Rising Wisconsin men's hockey sophomore Logan Hensler and incoming freshman Bruno Idžan (pronounced EE-jehn) lead a group of up to five Badgers who could hear their names called during the 2025 NHL Draft that runs Friday and Saturday, June 27-28, from L.A. Live's Peacock Arena.
Hensler, a Woodbury, Minnesota, native, has the potential to be a first-round pick. The 6-2 defenseman tallied two goals and 12 points in 32 games played at UW last season.
A member of Team USA's gold-medal winning roster at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, the defenseman is a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, skating with the NTDP from 2022-24.
Hensler checked in at No. 12 among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, and 15th in the Sports Network Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie's final draft rankings. At the 2025 NHL Combine in Buffalo, New York, Hensler placed in the top 25 (out of 90 prospects) in multiple fitness testing categories, including coming in 14th in the anaerobic fitness: fatigue index test with 45.2-percent, 17th in bench press 50% of body weight – power with 6.74 watts-per-kilogram and 22nd in force plate: no arm jump with 18.11 inches.
Hensler also had the 24th-longest wingspan of the prospects invited to the combine, measuring in at 77 inches.
Logan Hensler looking good for the NHL draft this weekend, according to Bob McKenzie https://t.co/H3SD3aTtxC
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) June 24, 2025
Incoming freshman forward Bruno Idžan is also likely to hear his name called this weekend, coming in at No. 67 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking for North American skaters.
The 6-0 forward skated for both KHL Sisak in Croatia and the USHL's Lincoln Stars in 2024-25, joining the Stars in mid-December 2024. The Zagreb, Croatia, native notched 22 goals and 44 points in 36 games played for Lincoln, ranking fifth on the team in points despite playing 20 fewer games than those above him.
Also eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft are incoming Badger freshmen forwards Finn Brink, Grady Deering and Oliver Tulk. Brink captained the USHL's Madison Capitols in 2024-25, tallying 22 goals and 43 points in 57 games played to rank fifth on the roster. Deering skated for the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks as an assistant captain in 2024-25, picking up 15 goals and 37 points in 60 games played to rank fourth on the team in scoring. Deering was also a finalist for the USHL's inaugural Gaudreau Award in 2025, presented to a player who demonstrates excellence on the ice, care and responsibility, and the spirit of the game. Tulk, a 20-year old in his last year of draft eligibility, played for the WHL's Calgary Hitmen last year, tallying 38 goals and a career-high 100 points in 65 games played to rank first on the roster and sixth in the league in scoring. The forward was one of six finalists for WHL player of the year, and he earned WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star Team honors.
The first round of the NHL draft takes place Friday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. Rounds 2-7 air on NHL Network on Saturday at 11 a.m. Both sessions also stream on ESPN+.
Badgers NHL Draft facts
- 186 Badgers have been chosen in what is now known as the NHL Entry Draft
- 18 Badgers have been selected in the first round
- 27 consecutive years that a Badger has been drafted. At least one Badger has been picked in every draft dating back to 1970 except 1983 and 1997
- Dany Heatley is the highest drafted Badger, taken second overall in 2000 by the Atlanta Thrashers (now Winnipeg Jets)
- Three Badgers were picked in the first round of the 2007 draft, including Kyle Turris (3rd), Ryan McDonagh (12th) and Brendan Smith (27th), setting the school mark in one year
- The 1972 draft is the only one in which Badgers were selected with consecutive picks when Bob Lundeen went 124th to the Minnesota North Stars and Bill Raey, Jr., went 125th to Chicago
- 43.5 percent of drafted Badgers (Entry Draft and Supplemental Draft) have played at least one game in the NHL (81 of 186)
- 11 Badgers have played in the NHL after going undrafted
- 14 Badgers have been picked by the Chicago Blackhawks, the most by any franchise
- 31 teams have selected at least one Badger in the NHL draft. Only Tampa Bay has yet to pick one
