After a rough stretch that knocked him off the ice, Otto Hensler is back in the mix at Sens dev camp this week.
Hensler’s season went sideways after he represented the United States at the Christmas-time tournament and came away pointless in five games, with several underwhelming showings along the way. Things only got worse when Wisconsin hit a six-game losing streak and Hensler suffered a nasty injury on the final day of January.
While trying to deliver a hit along the wall, he got tangled with an opposing player and twisted his left knee. A few days later, the team shut him down for the rest of the year and announced he had torn his ACL.
Now, after a lengthy rehab, he’s back on the ice.
Among the players in Ottawa’s system who should be in the NHL picture over the next few years is Kasper Halttunen, listed as a right wing and left wing. He came to Ottawa as part of the deal that sent William Eklund the other way, and he’s a prospect worth watching.
Halttunen brings size at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, and his shot is a weapon. He scored 17 goals in 18 games during London’s run to the OHL championship in 2023-24, then followed that up with 17 goals in 22 games as the Knights went one step further and won the Memorial Cup the next season.
The question now is how long it takes these kinds of players to turn potential into a permanent NHL role.
In Other News...
Canucks Eyeing Familiar Blue-Line Reunion Fans Will Definitely Debate
The Canucks are keeping an eye on the veteran side of their blue line again, and Ian Cole is a familiar name in that search. According to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK, Vancouver is interested in the pending unrestricted free agent defenseman after his one-season run with the club in 2023-24, a stretch that left the Canucks with a clear sense of what he can and cannot bring. Cole has continued to be a useful contributor in recent seasons, which only adds to the appeal for a team looking to steady its back end.
There is also a roster wrinkle building around Pierre-Olivier Joseph, with Vancouver expected not to issue him a qualifying offer, which would push him toward free agency. Put together, the two moves hint at a blue-line reset that favors experience and familiarity, even if the debate in Vancouver will come down to whether that is the right mix for a team trying to stay competitive while reshaping its defense. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks May Be Near Their Biggest Pettersson Decision Yet
The Elias Pettersson trade chatter around Vancouver has a very real business side to it, and that is what makes this one different from the usual offseason noise. Pettersson is tied to the Canucks through the 2031-32 season, and his cap hit is large enough to make any move complicated before it even gets to the hockey fit. For a team trying to keep its options open heading into free agency, that kind of contract can quickly become the central issue.
What makes the situation even trickier is the timing. July 1 is creeping closer, and the longer the offseason goes, the fewer paths there may be to create real salary cap flexibility. Vancouver could always try to make the numbers work in a variety of ways, including retaining some salary, but as of now there is still no confirmed deal and plenty of uncertainty about whether this is a true market or just a difficult one to solve. [Read more 🡒]
Predators Just Made Another Forward Move Fans Will Want To See
The Predators have continued to reshape their forward group this offseason, and the latest move gives them another cost-controlled option with some runway left on his contract. Nashville brought in Nils Hoglander from Vancouver for a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft, adding a winger who still has two years left at a $3 million cap hit per season before reaching unrestricted free agency in 2028.
For a Predators front office that has already added Ross Colton, Jack Drury and Adam Edstrom, the deal fits the broader pattern of stacking depth while keeping plenty of flexibility. Nashville still has nearly $17 million in cap space heading toward free agency, so the move raises the question of whether this is another incremental piece or just the latest step in a much bigger offensive shuffle. [Read more 🡒]