Hey all! Welcome to Arctic Ice Hockey's first annual NHL Mock Draft. Over the next thirty days, Ryan, Tim and myself will attempt to telepathically channel the minds of NHL General Managers as they complete their final rankings in preparation for the 2012 NHLDraft being held June 22, 2012 in Pittsburgh, PA.

In some instances, our analysis will require less insight than others *cough* *Edmonton* *cough*.

So without further adieu, we present our loyal readers with the sixteenth overall pick of Arctic Ice Hockey's 2012 Mock Draft.

George McPhee: With the sixteenth overall selection in this years draft, the Washington Capitals are pleased to select...

Rankings: CSS (5 EUR), ISS (30), TSN (22), Hockey Prospectus (18)

The Skinny: With the Capitals selecting defenseman Griffin Reinhart at the eleventh pick, it makes sense for them to go with a forward with their second first rounder. Evgeny Kuznetsov has recently signed a two-year extension with Traktor of the KHL, which could make them think twice about selecting another Russian like Anton Slepyshev in the first round. The Capitals could also go with Brendan Gaunce with this pick, another two-way centre, although Hertl projects as a more complete player offensively.

Hockey Prospectus:

Hertl had a strong showing in his first full professional season in the Czech Republic and an impressive World Juniors, although while playing overseas his ice time was up and down with scouts telling me there were some games where he barely got a handful of shifts. Hertl is a gifted puck-handler who is above-average to plus in that area with good creativity and hand-eye coordination. He has a nice frame and is pretty hard to strip the puck from in the cycle game due to his hands and puck protection abilities. Hertl's physical game is pretty solid all-around as he is strong, with a good sized frame, will go to the net, and doesn't mind getting a little chippy. He thinks the game at an above-average level as he's a gifted playmaker who is instinctual with his vision, and his off-the-puck instincts. He's also a pretty sound defensive forward. Hertl certainly needs work on his skating as he's below average on a good day, but that part of his game usually looks replacement level—especially his first few steps—although his standstill agility and balance are solid. If he cleans up his skating, his raw possession skills are first-line worthy, so if his development goes well, he could be a nice value pick. - Corey Pronman

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