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 NHL Draft 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 eighteenth overall pick of Arctic Ice Hockey's 2012 Mock Draft.

Stan Bowman: With the eighteenth overall selection in this years draft, the Chicago Blackhawks are pleased to select...

Rankings: CSS (4 EUR), ISS (19), TSN (10), Hockey Prospectus (16)

The Skinny: The Blackhawks have a decent mix of prospects and shouldn't be looking for anything other that BPA at this years draft. Our estimation is that at this point, Lindholm is the best player on the board. Blessed with a smooth skating stride, Lindholm will be a good defensive addition that can one day join the trio of Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Nick Leddy.

Hockey Prospectus:

Lindholm got notably better as the season went on, as the big, toolsy defender certainly looked appealing at the end of the season. Lindholm is a high-end skater who excels in the transition game. He is very effective at bringing the puck up the length of the ice and for a man his size his skating ability can be quite eye-popping. He has offensive ability as a puck-mover, as he has pretty good vision and knows how to create plays, be it from outlets or dishes off the rush. However, his pure puck skills are about average, maybe a tad more. In terms of his physical game, he's above average although I've heard some scouts say he's high-end physically, while some say he's about average and doesn't use his body that well. He's bigger than most players and he rubs people off the puck at a notable enough level to be effective in that area of the game. Lindholm's defensive hockey sense is where he needs the most work, as he's not bad in that area but he has his off moments. He does have good offensive instincts and vision, so there is potential that this problem could go away, but he does tend to look a little raw at times with his decisions in his own end or his overall positioning. - Corey Pronman

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