2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profiles: Will Moore and Logan Hensler
Upside Hockey's NHL Draft profile series: American Edition Volume 6 and 7
Upside Hockey’s prolific prospect profiler Trevor Curtis’s 2025 NHL draft eligible prospect profiles are all featured on our dedicated page for this with all featured prospects indexed in our table of contents alphabetically by last name. For the 2024 NHL Draft, we had well over 200 prospect profiles completed.
LHC Will Moore (6'2", 161lbs)
NTDP: 33gp/ 13g/ 12a/ 25pts, -9, 4 PIM.
(Stats up to date as of January 10, 2025)
C Will Moore is yet another NTDP prospect who had high expectations going into the 2024-25 season, and is not meeting them. Moore is a two-way power forward with all the tools- size, speed, skill, and play-driving ability, who can play in any situation as well as both special teams. His hockey sense, vision, and playmaking instincts are his best traits- he sees passing lanes that few others can see, and has the patience to hold on and wait for the right play to develop when there's nothing available. He scans the ice well, and can make plays with little time or space. His numbers suggest that he might be taking the reins and shooting more, as his 13 goals are second on the team. Not a huge surprise there, as he is able to drop a shoulder and drive the inside or attack the net, and he also owns a hard and heavy shot with precision. He will also park his large frame in front of the goalie to set up the screen for teammates, and he has the hand-eye coordination to get tip-ins, or cash-in on second-chance opportunities. In additon, he exhibits smooth puck-skill- he's a deft handler with quick hands.
Though he needs to bulk up considerably and get a lot stronger, he uses his frame to play a power game that includes bulling his way through traffic, imposing his will along the boards, and getting his nose dirty in the greasy areas. He makes his presence felt on the forecheck as well, causing multiple turnovers with his body and disrupting plays with his quickness and long reach. Down low, he can be a load to handle, with or without the puck. His physicality can be up-and-down though, as he can be a bit more passive in some contests. Moore is a solid skater with above-average speed, but there's work to be done on his mechanics as his stride looks a bit short and choppy at times. His edgework needs to be refined as well, for better escapability. His quickness is evident in transition, as he can find open space to move through, and has the ability to make high-end plays to achieve entry. Defensively, he's inconsistent with his anticipation, positioning, and engagement suffering wide ebbs and flows. There are also occasions where he is caught cheating by attempting to leave the zone early. When he's on, his speed and reach make him highly effective in snuffing plays on the backcheck, and applying pressure to opposing puck-carriers. He will support his D down low, as well.
As stated, Moore has grade "A" tools, but isn't exactly wowing with his offensive output right now. A big part of that is the team he plays for, with this year's edition of the NTDP being particularly weak, but he might be a longer-term project than many thought at the start of the season. His slight build and deficiency in strength cause him problems, and his skating could use some refinement, but he has plenty of time as he's committed to Boston College for the 2026-27 season. I still think he'll be selected in the latter half of the first round of the 2025 Draft.
Draft Thoughts (American Edition, Vol. 7):
RD Logan Hensler (6'2", 196lbs)
U of Wisconsin (NCAA): 17gp/ 0g/ 7a/ 7pts, -3, 19 PIM.
It's been hard to watch D Logan Hensler in the past, as he tries to be a low-event defenseman with very little flash and thus, he fades into the background at times. This was true at the most recent edition of the WJC, although he wasn't given a lot of ice-time or responsibility for Team USA, and finished with only one assist, and 8 PIM in 7 games. Hensler is a smooth two-way D who can be counted on in all situations and both special teams- though he truly shines on the PK. He is a stabilizing force on the backend, playing a very safe and reliable pro-style game. Though he will never be confused with Radko Gudas, he doesn't shy away from the rough-going, and plays a fairly physical style. For a 6'2" player, he is quite a graceful and agile skater with superb 4-directional speed, and surprising lateral agility that gives him tight gap control. He is able to shut down the rush early, and he denies entries in abundance. If there's a big flaw in Hensler's game (and it's not much of a flaw), it might be the fact that he's not overly aggressive when it comes to offense; he doesn't pinch into the zone much, instead manning the blueline to be ready to stop the attack if it starts coming his way. He will join the rush, but mostly in support, so he can stay behind the play to cover his team defensively. Hensler's primary concern is his defense, which is a good thing, but he's perhaps too conservative- scouts would like to see him take more calculated risks to create more offense, and he has the tools to do it.
Hensler owns top-tier hockey sense, reads the play and processes quickly, then makes sound decisions. His positioning is infallible in all 3 zones, with keen anticipation; he forces turnovers aplenty and intercepts passes with his long stick, timing, and reach. He is adept at angling his opponents to the outside, away from high-danger areas, and keeps attackers in front of the net in check. Hensler is also highly valuable in transition, with his first-pass and puck-movement through the neutral zone being areas of specialty; his passes are hard, crisp, and accurate, and always seem to give his team an advantage on the rush. He can make some jaw-dropping stretch-passes on the breakout through traffic at times, too. This is a workhorse D-man who can log big minutes, with an admirable work-ethic and good motor.
Hensler got some mixed reviews for his play at the WJC, with some saying that he was mistake-prone with the puck, and was pressured into errors on retrievals. There were indeed times when he was caught out of position, and beaten with speed- but I'm not worried. Others are not enamoured by his production in his freshman year of college, but I would challenge that notion- he's not Zeev Buium, and 7 points in 17 games is quite good for an 18-year-old. This is a future top-4 defenseman in the NHL, who could potentially ride shotgun on a top-pairing. I'm thinking he'll be taken somewhere in the teens in this summer's draft.
You might also enjoy:
