Observations:

November 2016 – Radek has been up and down the lineup over the first part of the season. Injuries have caused him to play in a lot of different situations. Faksa is a very good player, but maybe not a great fantasy player. He has excelled in the face-off circle, and does a lot of the little things to contribute. One of his wingers is Antoine Roussel, so Faksa isn’t in an ideal situation for point producing. There’s a lot to like about Radek, it might be best to wait and see. It would be nice to see a more talented line before going in on him. –Matt Kowalski

April 2016 – It's not on a scoring line like many people had expected when he was selected 13th overall, but Faksa appears to have found his role in Dallas. Coach Ruff has been using him on the PK and deploying him in all manner of defensive situation as evidenced by his 57.9% dSZ%, and has him matching him up against the likes of Thornton, Getzlaf, Toews and Kopitar. His offensive numbers reflect his role. He started out his NHL career with just one goal in his first 36 games. But he found his stride towards the end of the season to finish with five goals and seven assists in 45 games. His faceoffs could use some work, winning them at just a 49% rate in the regular season but has seen an uptick in the playoffs with a 62% success rate. Small sample for sure, but it's encouraging that he is able to turn things up a notch when the games matter most. Brad Phillips

December 2015 – With Ales Hemsky headed to the IR, Radek Faksa has been recalled from the AHL. This will he Faksa's second stint with the big club this season. In 14 games he has a goal and an assist. He'll likely be relegated to the fourth line duties so don't expect those numbers to increase dramatically. Brad Phillips

November 2015 – With Patrick Eaves and Travis Moen nearing return from injury, Faksa has been sent down to Cedar Park. He didn't produce much with just a goal and an assist in 14 games playing bottom six minutes. He will be in the mix for another call up later in the season when injuries strike. Brad Phillips

November 2015 – 10 games into his NHL career, Faksa managed to find the back of the net for his first NHL goal and point. Don't expect to see much production from Faksa in the near future as Ruff has deployed him mostly in defensive situations. But he has seen his ice time slowly creep up, seeing over 14 minutes in each of the last three games so he is certainly earning the trust of the head coach. Brad Phillips

August 2015 – To say that Faksa has been a disappointment since being drafted would be an understatement. After being drafted 13th overall in 2012, Faksa’s production has dropped each year and he has also battled some injury problems the past couple of years. 2014-15 was Faksa’s first, albeit abbreviated, professional season. In 32 games for the Texas Stars Faksa racked up four goals and six assists to go along with a team worst minus-13. He didn’t receive prime ice time being deployed in defensive situations a lot so it put those numbers in perspective a bit. But regardless you’d hope and expect to see more from such a high pick. His season came to an end in January when a shoulder injury requiring surgery sidelined him for the rest of the year. Still only 21, there is still lots of hockey left in Faksa and plenty of time to turn things around, but things will get tougher next year with an expected influx of Dickinson, Elie and Ully. This season will be a bit one as it should provide a better picture of how he stacks up against other top prospects in the organization. Brad Phillips

September 2014 – Faksa had a good training camp and preseason in Dallas making a good impression on the staff. In the end it wasn't enough to secure a spot in Big D and Faksa will be headed back for another season in Cedar Park. His performance was such that his name will be mentioned whenever callups occur this season. Rex Doty

January 2014 – Faksa (27 points, 30 games) was acquired by the Sudbury Wolves (OHL) via trade from the Kitchener Rangers on Jan. 9. "In Radek Faksa, we have acquired one of the premier two-way forwards in the OHL," says Wolves' GM Blaine Smith. "Radek is strong on face-offs and is very effective at net-front. We look forward to Radek's offensive contribution on our power play as well." The 20-year old joins one of the top teams in the OHL (9-1-0 in last 10 games), along with skilled prospect forwards such as Mathew Campagna (56 points, 38 games), Nicholas Baptiste (46 points, 38 games) and leading goal-scorer Nathan Pancel (35 goals, 38 games). Faksa, who recently returned from the World Junior Championship in Sweden, will likely make his Sudbury debut at home against Mississauga on Jan. 10 and appears poised to become a prime factor in the Wolves' offensive game plan moving forward. Clayton Bailey

December 2013 – Faksa has headed overseas to join up with the Czech team for the World Junior Championship, which gets underway later this month. The former first round selection continues to lead the Kitchener Rangers (OHL) in scoring with 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) through 29 games played. Clayton Bailey

November 2013 – Faksa ranks first among the Kitchener Rangers (OHL) in both goals (10) and points scored (14) through 19 games this season. Despite recording 10 points (eight goals, two assists) through the opening 11 games, he's since scored just four points and a minus-five rating through eight games in the month of November. Faksa ended a three game point drought on Nov. 17 against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, leading the Rangers to a 6-3 win. Clayton Bailey

April 2013 – Faksa returned to the Kitchener lineup March 1st, and finished the regular season with five points in the final 7 games. Radek then added six points in 10 playoff games before Kitchener was eliminated in the second round of the OHL playoffs. He's now with the Texas Stars, playing in the final two regular season games there. He had one assist and a minus-1 in those games. His role and playing time in the AHL playoffs are still to be determined. Rex Doty

February 2013 – He did not last long in Dallas Stars camp as they felt it was better to get the kids back to junior as quickly as possible. Faksa’s WJC performance was not overly strong to the Czech Republic, registering only a pair of assists. Upon returning to junior in January, he suffered a shoulder injury that threatens to hold him out a long while. Kitchener will need his presence if they expect to make noise in the playoffs. Jason Banks

October 2012 – Faksa is the key centerpiece of the Kitchener Rangers’ offensive attack and without his seven points (8 games) the team’s awful scoring slump would be even more depressing. Faksa has yet to dominate on the score sheet but he brings the intangibles and complete game that provides value to any franchise at the OHL or NHL level. Brenden Ross

July 2012 – Faksa has agreed to terms on a substantial (approximately 1.4 million) entry level deal. It would not be surprising if Faksa gets a long look and potentially a few NHL games to begin the season. It is unlikely that he will stick. He may have European eligibility to play in the AHL, but is more likely to continue getting used to North American ice in Kitchener of the OHL where he will be expected to control games and snipe at a high rate. From personal experience, when Faksa gets the puck on his stick, he commands attention, is very exciting to watch and you have to be careful not to blink or you will be looking for highlight on TV or YouTube. Jason Banks

June 2012 – Dallas Stars add Radek Faksa with their 13th pick of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Brenden Ross

March 2012 – Radek Faksa is a towering pivot who routinely uses his quick release to fire hard, accurate wrist shots on net. A talented stickhandler but just a mediocre skater, the Kitchener Ranger may not possess the elite offensive skills necessary to become an upper echelon scorer at the professional level. He will likely spend the 2012-13 season in the OHL. Rich Dillon

Fantasy Outlook: C

Probably a third-line forward who will likely tally in the 40- to 50 point range.

Footage:

Radek Faksa outwaits Sarnia Sting goaltender:

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