With their second pick in the first-round of the 2023 NHL Draft — No. 19 overall — the Chicago Blackhawks selected center Oliver Moore. He’s headed to the University of Minnesota this fall and has been touted as the best skater in this year’s draft class.
I AM THRILLED!
I had Moore ranked my 10th overall forward in this draft and absolutely love what he brings to the table: SPEED. The thought of having Moore and Frank Nazar in the same lineup is *chef’s kiss* and a nightmare for opposing defensemen.
Oliver Moore Intel
Center
5-11, 176
Shoots: Left
DOB: Jan. 22, 2005
Ranked #9 by Scott Wheeler (The Athletic)
Ranked #19 by Corey Pronman (The Athletic)
Ranked #8 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
Ranked #13 by TSN/BOB McKENZIE
Ranked #11 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
Ranked #9 by CONSOLIDATED RANKING
Ranked #16 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
Ranked #9 by DAILY FACEOFF
Ranked #8 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #9 by FCHOCKEY
Ranked #12 by FLOHOCKEY/CHRIS PETERS
Ranked #11 by THE HOCKEY NEWS
:
Moore is the best skater in the draft. He has very good speed and his edgework is NHL-elite caliber. He evades pressure so well and is able to go from a stop to a fast gear very quickly. He has very good hands to go with those feet and projects to get a ton of controlled zone entries in the NHL. I don’t think his pure offensive touch as a scorer or playmaker will ever dazzle, and he’ll be more of a secondary scorer on an NHL line. Moore lacks size, and isn’t overly physical, but he’s a worker. He gets to the net, comes back hard on defense and coaches trust him in tough situations. He has a ton of NHL projectability and looks like a potential good top six forward, whether at center or the wing.
Moore’s game is defined by his singular skating ability (both in straight lines, where he turns defenders with ease out wide, and in quick bursts from explosive stops and starts) and presence on the ice. He’s got gallops, cutbacks, crossovers, 🍒all of it. I’ve seen him create breakaways with ease, win races he shouldn’t, and send defenders sliding when he stops up on them with a head of steam. He also hunts pucks and applies pressure with the best of them, and his motor doesn’t stop, bouncing from one won battle to the next.
He wants to hang onto the puck and make plays but he’ll also hurry it 🐎up and dominate in and out of give-and-gos. He’s got an impressive one-timer from the right flank and can really lean into and rip his catch-and-release or in-stride wrister to score from the high slot. He has added a ton of strength since arriving at the program so that he can overwhelm junior-level players with his power and speed. He has learned to use some clever movement patterns to make defencemen miss and get to his spots as a shooter. He’s strong in the faceoff circle. Increasingly, his game isn’t all just about the speed/hound element and I’ve been impressed by his puck protection in and out of stops and starts in the offensive zone, changing directions to beat defenders off the all-into valuable ice.
The Blackhawks received t♋his selection from the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the package that came back from Tampa in the Brandon ꦉHagel trade.
