NHL Draft

Oliver Moore 2023 NHL Draft Profile – Chicago Blackhawks #19 Pick

We are about a week and a half before the NHL Draft Lottery on May 8. This lottery will decide which teams are going to end up drafting this years superstars. The first round of the 2023 NHL Draft will take place on June 28, while the following rounds will occur on June 29.

Lightning McQueen’s famous tagline was “I am Speed.” Oliver Moore doesn’t wear #95 but he could definitely steal the animated car’s motto. He has often been compared to the Detroit Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin, due to the unique combination of speed and all-around play. Moore is committed to the University of Minnesota for 2023–24.

2023 NHL Draft Update: Oliver Moore was selected 19th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Who is Oliver Moore?

PlayerPositionHandednessHeightWeight
Oliver MooreCLeft5’11”176 lbs

Moore’s on-ice production

YearDraft RelativeLeagueTeamGPGAP
2020–21D-2USHS-MNTotino-Grace High17172138
2021–22D-1USDPU.S. National U17 Team43241539
USDPU.S. National U18 Team11257
USHLUSNTDP Juniors32121426
2022–23D+0USDPU.S. National U18 Team57304171
USHLUSNTDP Juniors2381725
WJC U18USA U185437

Moore took the jump from high school hockey to the United States Development Program in his D-1 year. He proved to be quite effective in his first year with the program, notching 39 points in 43 games. While Moore spent the majority of the year with the U17 Team, he did move up to the U18 team with seven points in the 11 games he played there.

Moore burst onto the scene in his D+0 year, with an impressive 71 points in 57 games with the U.S. National U18 Team. During the 2022–23 season, Moore fell a little under shadowed due to him behind the top line centred by Will Smith with wingers Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard, all of whom also project to be first-round selections in June.

Currently, Moore is playing in the U18 WJC, where he has seven points in five games.

Moore’s strengths

Relentless motor

Moore can be seen in all areas of the ice, simply because he doesn’t stop moving. He puts in effort every shift, with the ability to effectively lift the pace of his teams game if needed. These type of energy players are becoming more and more useful in today’s NHL, as the game evolves to be faster and faster.

Speed

Oliver Moore is one of if not the fastest skaters in the 2023 NHL Draft. If you watch any of his game footage, you can notice an immediate burst of speed with excellent propulsion. This speed helps Moore catch up and/or overtake opponents with ease. Moore is able to create many of his scoring chances due to overtakes and effective manoeuvres thanks to his speed.

Shot

The most underrated part of Moore’s game is his shot. He is an effective shot generator, and has posted solid goal totals. He was a goal-per-game in his D-2 high school season, and had 24 goals in 43 games in his D-1 season with the U17 U.S. National Team. This season, Moore put together 30 goals in 57 games with the U18 U.S. National Team. Moore has racked up four goals in five games so far in the U18 World Junior Championships.

Moore’s areas of improvement

Puck handling

Moore does struggle with handling the puck. He is an excellent attacker with the puck on the rush, but struggles moving the puck when he has it deep in the offensive zone.

Moore’s Comparables

Dylan Larkin and Matty Beniers are two guys that Moore has been compared to, due to the speed and work ethic those players play with.

Fit with the Flames

If you watched the Flames this season, two noticeable things were missing. One was their lack of energy, and the other was their lack of foot speed. The Flames need to get faster this offseason and over the next few years, plain and simple. Moore is the perfect draft candidate for the Flames, as he fits massive organizational needs of speed, pace, and work ethic.

Most outlets have Moore going somewhere between sixth and 12th overall, so it is unlikely he’ll fall to the Flames. But, in the unlikely scenario that the Flames win a lottery and move up to sixth overall, he would be an interesting fit based on the traits he excels in.

Summary

One word: Speed. Oliver Moore is all speed. He is highly likely to become an NHLer because of his speed and motor. Moore might not have the offensive pop of the top-end guys in this draft, but his floor is high. He is going to have a role on any team he’s playing on, due to the uniqueness of the traits he excels in.

The most random thing you can know about Oliver Moore? He lives on a flower farm.

Risk: 2/5

Reward: 4/5

Projection: Top-six centre


All TWC 2023 NHL Draft Profiles

Check out more of our individual player profiles of selected 2023 NHL Draft prospects:
Connor Bedard | Matvei Michkov | Adam Fantilli | Leo Carlsson | Zach Benson | Andrew Cristall | Oliver Moore | Will Smith | Ryan Leonard | Eduard Sale | Colby Barlow | Axel Sandin Pellikka | Dalibor Dvorsky | Brayden Yager | David Reinbacher | Nate Danielson | Riley Heidt | Matthew Wood | Quentin Musty | Mikhail Gulyayev | Calum Ritchie | Gabe Perrault | Jayden Perron | Ethan Gauthier | Dmitri Simashev | Samuel Honzek | Lukas Dragicevic | William Whitelaw | Otto Stenberg | Gavin Brindley | Daniil But

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