You might not have noticed, which is odd considering the subject in question is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound defenseman, but Tyler Kleven was all over the place during the Ottawa Senators’ too-short-but-still-inspiring 2025 playoff run. His shot-pass from the point was tipped to tie the score in Game 2, his poised breakout led to another tying goal in Game 3, and his sense to jump up into the play and gain the zone led to the Senators’ overtime goal in Game 4.
And it should have come as no surprise to anyone who watched Kleven closely during his first full NHL season. The 23-year-old from Fargo, N.D., improved and had more of an impact as the season went on, and it’s a trajectory both he and the Senators count on continuing after Kleven signed a two-year deal in June that carries a cap hit of $1.6 million.
Considering the fact Kleven played only 53 games in the minors – all of which came in 2023-24 – he hasn’t exactly been a slow burn. The Senators have brought him along at a good pace, both at the AHL and NHL levels. But with almost 100 big-league contests and one playoff round now to his credit, Kleven feels at home as a third-pair defenseman with the potential to move up to the second pair down the road. “I felt like I definitely took some steps this season,” Kleven said. “In the playoffs, I got to play in different scenarios a little more than I did at the start of the year.”
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There is a sense Kleven hasn’t even come close to reaching his potential as an NHL blueliner yet. As is the case with all young players, he spent most of the season gaining the trust of the coaching staff and making low-risk plays that would not lead to mistakes. But he gained confidence as the season progressed, and that was evident in Game 3 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With the Senators trailing 2-1, without a single third-period shot and from a defensive-zone faceoff, Kleven gathered up the puck and tried to move it up ice, but the pass was deflected by Max Domi. Kleven then calmly gathered the puck back up and skated a few strides before making a pass that helped set up Brady Tkachuk’s tying goal.
"With the caliber of player you're playing against, it's hard to go out and have an ESPN highlight-reel hit every night."- Tyler Kleven
Both the Senators and Kleven are confident he has more in his arsenal. He had almost no ice time on special teams in the regular season or the playoffs, and there’s certainly an element to his game that lends itself to him being an effective penalty-killer. Even though he registered a respectable 105 hits this season, his college game suggests he’s a much more physically robust player. And while he can shoot it a ton, getting the puck on net has been an issue. He registered 78 shots on goal, but he also took another 75 that were blocked. “With the caliber of player you’re playing against, it’s hard to go out and have an ESPN highlight-reel hit every night,” Kleven said. “It just doesn’t happen like that. You wait for your moment, and once that moment comes, you take advantage of it. I thought there were times during the season that I showed I was a physical player, and in the playoffs, I was way more physical.”
Kleven spent much of the first half of the season playing alongside veteran Travis Hamonic on the third pair, then teamed with Nikolas Matinpalo once the latter was called up just after Christmas. Coincidentally, that was when Kleven’s game started to take off. That familiarity helped Kleven, who played much of last season with Matinpalo on the Senators’ AHL affiliate in Belleville.
With Nick Jensen expected to be out for some of next season after undergoing off-season hip surgery, there might be a chance for Kleven to move up in the lineup, depending on what the Senators do in terms of trades or signings over the summer.
One thing working in Kleven’s favor is that, even though he shoots left, he’s comfortable playing the right side as well. In fact, with the Senators’ system, he often ends up there as the play develops. And because he has such a long reach and stick, he’s adept at breaking up plays in the defensive zone. “On the right side, if they ever need someone to help out there, I got more looks toward the end of the season,” Kleven said. “My last 20 games, I got more looks there. In the offensive zone, I get to use my one-timer more, and I didn’t get to use that a ton. It takes a little time to learn, but I certainly don’t mind playing the right side.”
This article appeared in our 2025 Champions issue. Our cover story focuses on the 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, specifically the elite play of defenseman Seth Jones, along with a recap of each game of the Cup final. We also include features on Sharks center Will Smith and Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans. In addition, we give our list of the top 10 moments from the 2024-25 NHL season.
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