Arctic Ice Hockey’s First Annual NHL Mock Draft: Pick #9

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

Kevin Cheveldayoff: With the ninth overall selection in this years draft, the Winnipeg Jets are pleased to select…

Rankings: CSS (7 NA), ISS (16), TSN (17), Hockey Prospectus (10)

The Skinny: There is no secret that the Winnipeg Jets are weak as it pertains to the centre position. With Nik Antropov ready to become a UFA at the end of the 2012-13 season, as well as Alexander Burmistrov being shifted to the wing, Kevin Cheveldayoff and Co. could be looking at the tandem of Mark Scheifele and Radek Faksa to anchor the teams top two lines in a few years time.

Hockey Prospectus:

Faksa had a great first season in North America, rocketing to the top of the charts in OHL rookie scoring and playing a key role for Kitchener. Faksa is a pretty well-rounded player who doesn't have a clear weakness but is notably strong at all areas of the game. He's a solid to above-average skater with nice acceleration and who can get to a desirable top speed. Faksa's puck skills are above-average as well and he's certainly effective controlling the puck. He will show the ability to be a good puck distributer, though I have heard conflicting reports on this area of his game from scouts as some think he's just solid and other think potentially high end. How well he has adjusted to the OHL pace has been impressive as he makes quick decisions in a fast Junior league. Faksa shows very good dependability in the defensive end and scouts I've talked to rave about his defensive game which is high-end potentially and creates a lot of value when combined with his skill set. He can kill penalties effectively and has been regularly relied on to play high-leverage minutes in both ends. He also has no fear of getting involved with the physical game as he will battle hard in the corners, take his checks with the body, and drive the net with regularity. – Corey Pronman

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Ed. Note: Again, due to the heavy traffic on the site today, we will forgo Altitude Check. It will return tomorrow with tons of Stanley Cup Finals coverage.