Photo; Rena Laverty / USA Hockey
We are less than a month away from the 2023 NHL Draft, where the Washington Capitals will have the 8th overall selection. In preparation for the pick we have presented a series of draft profiles for players that could be potentially selected by the Capitals. This week we take a look at Minnesota native Oliver Moore.
PREVIOUS PROFILES
Colby Barlow
Dalibor Dvorsky
Matvei Michkov
David Reinbacher
OLIVER MOORE – (18) – 5’11” – 176LBS, C, U18 US National Team (NTDP)
Moore is committed to the University of Minnesota for the upcoming season, where he will join Capitals second round pick Ryan Chesley. The 18-year-old was expected to fill large voids on the Golden Gophers’ roster, but with Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud returning for their sophomore seasons, Moore does not have to worry about putting up similar offensive numbers in his first year. Playing with those two superstars will help his development going forward.
Coming into the draft, Moore has been overshadowed by teammates Will Smith, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault. Smith and Leonard are projected to go in the top 5 and Smith will go in the top 10.
Moore could slide just outside the top 10 because of the players ahead of him, but his speed could easily make him a high choice.
This past season with the U18 US National Team, in the National Team Development Program, he had 75 points (31 goals, 44 assists), which was fourth on the team. The Mounds View, Minn., native was the second line center behind Leonard.
In the USHL, he had 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) with the NTDP junior team. Furthermore, he had nine points (four goals, five assists) at the World Junior Championship.
Moore is without question the fastest skater in the draft, and probably the best skater overall. He can burn defensemen with his straightaway speed, or fool them with his agile edges.
Oliver Moore is a ridiculous skater pic.twitter.com/r44UazpRYN
— TLY (@TheLibertyYell) May 25, 2023
“The speed is the No. 1 thing that stands out when you see him play,” said Dan Muse, Moore’s coach with USA Hockey’s National U17 team. “He’s really good on his edges and able to separate from opponents with the puck. He’s really hard to defend due to his speed and the skill that he has with it. He can do things at a really high rate with the puck.”
Moore’s shot is also one of the best. He can pick corners with ease due to his lightning quick release and powerful shot.
Quick strike from Oliver Moore! 🫡#U18MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/3kpw7eVtV2
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) April 23, 2023
An underrated aspect to his game is his hunger for pucks and compete level. Moore is excellent at stealing pucks from opponents on the backcheck and going on the counterattack.
Moore’s stock is slowly rising because of his elite speed. Any team in the NHL could always add more speed to its lineup. We mentioned in our Matvei Michkov profile that he is the ultimate wild card. However, Moore is another wild card where there is no real consensus on him.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
OTHER TAKES
The first thing anyone says about Oliver Moore is his incredible speed and for a good reason. In an incredibly deep draft class filled with high-skill centers, he might be the fastest of the bunch. He can get up to top speed in the blink of an eye, and if he’s given any space, he can blow by opponents like they were standing still. That level of speed allows him to dictate the flow of the game, as does his agility. He can spot and turn on a dime and change speed effortlessly, ensuring that no matter what happens, as long as he has the puck, his team will get a scoring chance. But Moore is much more than just a fast skater. He has a blistering shot with a quick release that’s led to him scoring 26 times this season with the United States U18 Development Program, which puts him fourth on a very skilled team, as well as another eight goals with the USNTDP Juniors in the United States Hockey League (USHL). That puts him on pace to hit similar totals to Trevor Zegras or Clayton Keller during their time in the program.
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 defenseman 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.
Moore continues to display a high-octane, fast, competitive style. There is no question he plays to his max every time he rolls over the boards. I appreciate his small area game. He can escape pressure with tight turns and pivots. I am, however, concerned about how high end his offense projects to be as an NHL player. Moore isn’t the easiest linemate to play with. He tends to play to his strengths and at times lacks some vision and playmaking with his wingers. At worst he is a 3F who can very likely play the middle, the wing and be used in an energy/penalty-killing role. His projected versatility gives him an edge on some other prospects.
OTHER RANKINGS:
Eliteprospects: 6
SportsNet: 13
NHL Central Scouting: 8 (Among NA skaters)
Daily Faceoff: 7
By Jacob Cheris
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I like Moore as a prospect, but I do think that it he would be a large reach at 8.
I don’t know if he is that much of a reach. Speed kills and combine that with what seems to be a very well respected shot, he could be a dangerous top 6 within 2 years. I also love that he is a two way backchecking pest.
It’s really going to depend on who is on the board as it comes to off. 8 looks like a difficult position to pick at even this year as there will be a lot of options. Hope we pick the right one!
Yeah, I don’t get that a guy with 99%-ile skating and a great work ethic/compete-level all over the ice is a reach at 8, since historically few superstars are picked past the top 5. Those who are projecting him as a 3C might be doing so based on the fact that he was not a top-line player for the USNDT. But this USNDT was loaded with talent and his position on that team is based on where they all are at 18 years old — plenty of room to grow… or not, for some of them.
Moreover, I have to think that a world-class skater can learn the finer points of the game easier than an average skater with good puck skills can turn into a great skater.
And if Moore’s speed turns out to be more useful on the wing and transporting the puck on the PP… That’s definitely something the Caps can use.
I like the snippets I’ve seen on this kid and wouldn’t be upset if they picked him at 8.
I’d be cautious about judging just on his speed. While it’s counterintuitive, at least to me, there are a number of guys (Carl Hagelin, Miles Wood, Lomberg, etc) who have great speed but have never been more than 3rd or 4th liners (though often excellent on the penalty kill). I don’t really get how that’s possible (if you’re that fast, shouldn’t you be a big-time offensive threat?) but it does seem to happen a fair amount. Moore does seem to have some other attributes, but if he projects as a Hagelin type then the #8 pick would be way too high to take him.
Well we had Todd Krieyger as well. Haha.
Speed kills… but its not just that. Sounds like he backchecks and can snipe. I’d be most worried that he can’t snipe it at the NHL level. We need someone who can finish.