Nicklas Jensen: Draft day in Denmark

In its 92-year history, just seven Danish hockey players have found their way into the NHL. All but one of them were drafted between 2007 and 2010 and still remain in the league today. This summer, Denmark will see the developmental trend continue thanks to Oshawa Generals winger Nicklas Jensen.

Projected to go in the first-round of the 2011 NHL Draft, Jensen will join the likes of Frans Nielsen, Mikkel Boedker, Jannik Hansen, Philip Larsen, Paul Popiel, Peter Regin and Lars Eller, all countrymates currently suiting up in NHL cities across the continent.

At 6’3″ and 186 pounds, Jensen’s frame and well-balanced skill set earned him the No. 21 spot in the final NHL Central Scouting rankings heading into June’s 2011 Entry Draft. The designation makes it likely that he’ll be the latest NHLer of Danish descent sooner rather than later.

Although there was a minor learning curve in his first OHL season, Jensen had the CHL’s style of play all figured out by January. On top of participating in the mid-month Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, he tallied 11 goals and eight helpers in just a dozen January matches.

The former Danish hockey league Rookie of the Year hails from Herning, Denmark, a mid-sized community that houses just shy of 50,000 people. The humble city, over 6,000 kilometers away from Oshawa, Ontario, has harvested not only Jensen but the Islanders’ Nielsen and Senators’ Regin.

When asked if he keeps an eye and ear on draft rankings and adept opinions, Jensen, unlike some of his peers, spewed an honest answer.

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“Of course you do a little bit,” said the right winger, with a chuckle, following a Game 3 loss to the Niagara IceDogs in the 2011 OHL playoffs. “I try not to think about it. I’m playing here with Oshawa now and I’m focused on playing the post-season out. When we’re done playing here I can start thinking about the draft.”

Unfortunately for Jensen and his teammates, they bowed out to Mark Visentin and the IceDogs in five games, but the Generals’ second-round exit put an end to an otherwise satisfying campaign. Not bad for his first.

After the 61-game, 58-point rookie season in the OHL, scouts and fans were fortunate enough to witness an extra 10 games in the post-season, an extended audition wherein Jensen did not disappoint, potting seven goals and 11 points.

Now with all meaningful competition now in the past, concluding scouting reports on Jensen have highlighted both his capabilities to succeed as a reliable two-way forward and his rocket of a shot.

After the Game 3 defeat, however, Jensen demonstrated another compelling attribute, his leadership potential.

“We’re just going to go on the bus and forget about the game and be ready for tomorrow’s practice. We can’t think about this anymore, we need to be looking forward,” said Jensen.

Despite the invaluable information scouts and pundits provide general managers prior to the draft, additional evidence of a player’s overbearing mindset can be a telling sign of their potential. When gauging a prospect’s worth, it’s vital to consider how they evaluate their own talent.

Jensen seems to feel that his game needs tweaking in virtually every nook and cranny of the ice.

“You can always work on everything in your game. I want to be faster, stronger, shoot harder, play better in the defensive zone and offensive zone,” said the possible first-round pick.

“Just my all-around game from the defensive zone to the neutral zone to offense I want to be better.”

In a sport where mental capacity, on- and off-ice composure and self-assessment are held in high regard, Jensen’s January point-burst, intimidating size and versatility on the wing may take a backseat in his pre-draft scouting report in order to make room for the immaterial matters.

The road to the NHL is an often bumpy one for prospects like Jensen, but in the meantime, you can find him working on his shot, strength and skating, all in order to meet his own lofty standards.

He does, after all, have Denmark’s ever-increasing presence in the NHL to live up to.

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