C Radek Faksa (2012, 13th, DAL)

[Bjorn Le]

Not saying I agree but I'll play devils advocate.

Seems like the scouts opinion on Faksa is different than even some Rangers fans. He's not putting up flashy numbers but seems that they think he has pretty good offensive upside. A two-way second line center or on the higher end an top tier two-way first line center. They clearly see something many people don't.

Was the same way with Landeskog too, people on these boards said he was a strong defensive prospect who should be a 2nd or 3rd liner but questioned his offense.

 

[Tim Wallach]

For those teams eyeing him high in the draft, he suffered a concussion in Game 4 versus Owen Sound and is out "indefinitely" and apparently not responding well in the first 48 hours.

It'll be a shame if this impacts his draft.

 

[R S]

Mutha Faksa

 

[PensFan101]

Not saying I agree but I'll play devils advocate.

Seems like the scouts opinion on Faksa is different than even some Rangers fans. He's not putting up flashy numbers but seems that they think he has pretty good offensive upside. A two-way second line center or on the higher end an top tier two-way first line center. They clearly see something many people don't.

Was the same way with Landeskog too, people on these boards said he was a strong defensive prospect who should be a 2nd or 3rd liner but questioned his offense.

Faksa is definitely not on Landeskog level at this point. Yeah Landeskog had the question of offensive upside but he was so physically dominant in junior that he was a sure thing. Faksa is solid, but he's not Landeskog solid. In my viewings I've been really all over the map with him - in my first he impressed me with his skating and hockey smarts, but the next couple of times he disappeared, including the last time where he was completely invisible.

He's out for tonight's game 5 against Owen Sound. Looks like the Attack aren't going down without taking a piece of the Rangers with them.

 

[CharlieGirl]

Looks like the Attack aren't going down without taking a piece of the Rangers with them.

Too bad they refuse to play cleanly.

 

[PensFan101]

Too bad they refuse to play cleanly.

Without dragging his too far off topic, there's no need to really state Kitchener's history of suspicious play. You once had Boris Valabik in your colours, not much else needs to be said. Oh, and the Attack have 0 players suspended for elbows to the head.

 

[JawandaPuck]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=625180

4. Radek Faksa, C, Kitchener Rangers, OHL

2011-12: 62 games, 29 goals, 37 assists, 66 points, plus-19, 8 power-play goals, 3 shorthanded goals

Comparison: Martin Havlat

Best asset: "Strongest asset as a player is my hockey sense."

Where do you need improvement: "To maintain the puck for longer times."

NHL Central Scouting: "He has great quickness right out of the gate, and can create openings for himself, moves the puck well and can really shoot it," Gregory said. "If the goalie is going to give him a spot to shoot, he better be able to cover it up, because he's going to be able to get the puck there. He's really dynamic that way … coming through the neutral zone and the attacking zone. It's almost like the eyes get big, and he's going to attack the net. I think that dynamic to his game, that ability to really create with speed and going hard to the net, make him a force and such an attractive player."

 

[Beakermania*]

Is he back from the injury?

Was it a concussion?

 

[Future]

Is he back from the injury?

Was it a concussion?

Yeah he is and yeah it was. He's looked pretty decent since returning as well.

 

[AmericanDream]

meh,

weak draft for forwards, some forwards are going to look better then they are because there simply isnt much else out there.

 

[pocketful]

If other teams pass him in the first round, the Oilers would be happy to grab him in the second. *sigh* slim chance that will happen

 

[EichHart]

meh,

weak draft for forwards, some forwards are going to look better then they are because there simply isnt much else out there.

Agree. Next year is the year for forwards, this is the year for defenseman.

 

[smitty10]

If other teams pass him in the first round, the Oilers would be happy to grab him in the second. *sigh* slim chance that will happen

Yeah that almost certainly won't happen. I expect that he'll be taken by the middle of the first round. There may be two other good Czech's available at the start of the second that Edmonton could be interested in: Tomas Hertl and Martin Frk. Both of them could be gone by that point, but I think at least one will be around at the start of the second.

 

[old time hockey4]

I would love it if the Flames got him at 14th, he's probably the only centre that will fall to us that I would actually want, I don't believe Gaunce will turn out to be a great NHLer, so I'm hoping Faksa is still available for the Flames.

 

[Beakermania*]

I would love it if the Flames got him at 14th, he's probably the only centre that will fall to us that I would actually want, I don't believe Gaunce will turn out to be a great NHLer, so I'm hoping Faksa is still available for the Flames.

If other teams pass him in the first round, the Oilers would be happy to grab him in the second. *sigh* slim chance that will happen

14 to the Flames is possible, but even then not a sure thing.

2nd round to the Oilers is not happening.

 

[rt]

Has it ever come out why he was so ineffective at the WJCs?

He looked like he was in slow motion. Mostly a spectator/passenger. Terrible showing, IMO.

I thought maybe the flu, food poisoning, some other illness or an undisclosed injury.

I read all of these great thing about him and saw NONE of them at the tournament.

There has to be a reason, right?

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

Reading some of the scouting reports I see some Ryan Kesler in him. Good size, fast through the neutral zone, good both ways with some grit. Is that a good assessment?

 

[CharlieGirl]

Has it ever come out why he was so ineffective at the WJCs?

He looked like he was in slow motion. Mostly a spectator/passenger. Terrible showing, IMO.

I thought maybe the flu, food poisoning, some other illness or an undisclosed injury.

I read all of these great thing about him and saw NONE of them at the tournament.

There has to be a reason, right?

I thought he was quite good on the defensive side of the puck. But a 17 year old kid in a 19 year old tournament rarely looks good offensively.

 

[zorz]

Has it ever come out why he was so ineffective at the WJCs?

He looked like he was in slow motion. Mostly a spectator/passenger. Terrible showing, IMO.

I thought maybe the flu, food poisoning, some other illness or an undisclosed injury.

I read all of these great thing about him and saw NONE of them at the tournament.

There has to be a reason, right?

yes, it was a flu as far as i know

 

[rt]

I thought he was quite good on the defensive side of the puck. But a 17 year old kid in a 19 year old tournament rarely looks good offensively.

My problem is that Hertl was so, so much more effective in ALL aspects. He was right there, on the same squad, in the same games, and it looked like the difference of Evgeni Malkin versus Dustin Jeffrey.

I'm sure it was just a bad tournament. Those happen. I was just curious if some hidden reason ever came out.

I like the Kitchener Rangers a lot and I love Czech players. I hope Faksa lives up to all the hype and more. This isn't one of those slam a player you don't like kind of things. I was just really excited to watch him and kept seeing other guys who are always ranked well below him performing much more effectively. Hertl especially, but also Collberg(though just offensively) and Girgensons(tough to gauge given his team).

 

[rt]

yes, it was a flu as far as i know

Ah! Thank you! I figured it was something like that.

 

[HabsFanFromOntario]

My favourite Kitchener Ranger this season! He should be a top-6 centreman for an NHL team, the real question is which one?

 

[Tim Wallach]

My problem is that Hertl was so, so much more effective in ALL aspects. He was right there, on the same squad, in the same games, and it looked like the difference of Evgeni Malkin versus Dustin Jeffrey.

I'm sure it was just a bad tournament. Those happen. I was just curious if some hidden reason ever came out.

I like the Kitchener Rangers a lot and I love Czech players. I hope Faksa lives up to all the hype and more. This isn't one of those slam a player you don't like kind of things. I was just really excited to watch him and kept seeing other guys who are always ranked well below him performing much more effectively. Hertl especially, but also Collberg(though just offensively) and Girgensons(tough to gauge given his team).

I heard a number of Czech sources reveal that he had a very bad flu actually and was barely able to dress versus Canada. And that made sense. I had never seen him look so poor as in that game.

What you get out of him is not a flashy, dominant game (yet), but a very consistent, effective two-way game with high-end skill flashes at key times.

 

[R S]

Dude why do you keep linking to that crappy site? Is it your site? Are you B.Kerr?

Haha. Been wondering the same thing for the last few days.

 

[DuncanMacpherson]

People talking about him being around in the middle of the 1st are gonna be disappointed. I wouldnt mind if my leafs took him 5th overall. Kid has Eric Staal potential