Winnipeg Jets Prospects Coverage: Center, Mark Scheifele

Mark Scheifele is the Winnipeg Jets' first-round draft pick, seventh overall in the 2011 NHL Draft.

The Kitchener, Ontario center was listed at 6'3'' 184 lbs as an 18-year-old. Now entering the summer a year older, Scheifele will be trying to increase his game to a level where he can play regular minutes as a Winnipeg Jet.

Scheifele is among a long list of players drafted by the Jets from the OHL Barrie Colts organization. It is rare to see an NHL team select so many players from one junior hockey team, but the Jets have done a superb job acquiring these guys.

The Hockey News projects Scheifele to become a power forward in the NHL one day. Blessed with high-end skill and a projectable frame, Scheifele will be able to play the game with intensity when he adds some more muscle to his 6'3'' height.

Here is a quick look at the statistics from his junior career, courtesy of hockeydb:

2009-10: 66 GP, 22 G, 53 A, 75 PTS

2010-11: 47 GP, 23 G, 40 A, 63 PTS, Playoffs: 12 points in 13 games.

Looking ahead to 2013 or 2014, Scheifele should figure into the Winnipeg Jets' offensive lineup by then. He brings an element that the Jets do not possess very much at the moment, which is size and skill. Nik Antropov is like that, but he will be happy to get some support from a young player like Scheifele.

If Scheifele takes the summer to get stronger and faster as a player, then he will enter the Jets' prospect camp and training camp as a potential candidate to crack the lineup for the start of the regular season.

A lot depends on the level of dedication he shows this offseason. Claude Noel is patiently waiting to see what Scheifele can bring to the table.

This is Joseph Trenton reporting on the prospects of Winnipeg Jets.