Oliver Moore is still putting it all together

Oliver Moore is one of the more intriguing players of the Chicago Blackhawks rebuild. The 2023 first-round pick has yet to define his role on this team, which is not a bad thing. His playing style fits with how the team wants to play, but his part to play hasn’t been determined. Can he be a top-six winger? Maybe. Is he a third-line, two-way center? Possibly. Can he do a little bit of everything? Most certainly!

“I think I definitely took a step forward,” Moore said after the season. “I don’t think anyone wants to be in this position next year. There are still jobs to be competed for. I think we’re never going to be satisfied, especially with where we’re at.”

Season Review

After recording four assists in his first nine NHL games at the end of last season, Moore came into training camp having to compete for a roster spot. He had to start the season in the American Hockey League, but he wasn’t there very long. He quickly formed a dynamic duo with Nick Lardis, and after six goals and nine points in nine games for the Rockford IceHogs, he was back with the big club.

Moore scored his first career NHL goal on Nov. 9 against the Detroit Red Wings. He followed that up with his first career multipoint game against the Calgary Flames just over a week later. He scored three of his five total goals within his first 14 games of the season.

Although he played wing when he was first called up, Moore’s season took a different turn when he was moved to center, his natural position. The game seemed to slow down for him, despite playing a more difficult position. He was far more effective with his speed up the middle of the ice as opposed to the outside.

“Ollie, without question, knows how to utilize his speed better in the middle than as a winger,” head coach Jeff Blashil said. “As a center, you have to slow yourself down a little bit and then hit the hole with speed. As a winger, he was kind of skating so fast all the time that he wasn’t able to hit those holes. So I’ve liked him at center."

While Moore didn’t produce as much as you’d like to have seen, there was a lot to feel positive about. His speed and tenacity made him hard to play against on most nights. When his head catches up with his legs, he could be a very effective player. He was starting to get into a groove with three assists in four games before a knee injury ended his season on March 8.

“I feel like I excelled at both times this year,” Moore said. “At center, I was a little bit more comfortable just because that’s my natural position. I think one of my strengths will be my versatility going forward. There are going to be nights when you have to play with more responsibility. And sometimes there might be nights when I have to fill in for a different role. I’m willing to do anything. The big thing I want to do is to continue to try to be a winning hockey player, use my compete, and do things that I know will help the team win every night.”

Analysis & Final Grade

Season Stats

Games played: 51
Goals: 5
Assists: 14
Power-play points: 5 (2 G, 3 A)
Plus/minus: -15
Shots on goal: 57
Shot attempts: 111
Shooting percentage: 8.8
Average time on ice: 12:51
Penalty minutes: 19
Penalties drawn: 9
Blocked shots: 13
Individual scoring chances: 60
Individual high-danger chances: 26
Corsi for percentage (CF%): 49.19
Scoring chance percentage (SCF%): 51.00
High-danger chance percentage (HDCF%): 48.89

Moore’s speed and two-way game are why general manager Kyle Davidson tried to trade up to select him in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He is a hard worker who wants to get better. He’s also a high-character guy who became a big part of the locker room as the season progressed. When Moore was on the ice, good things usually happened. His 49.82 goals for percentage was the fourth-highest on the team. His 51.00 SCF% was third, only behind Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky.

Once Blashill figures out exactly where he fits, he should be even more effective. Training camp this fall will be interesting, as the Blackhawks seem committed to having Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, and Frank Nazar down the middle. Maybe Moore doesn’t have a permanent role. Maybe he becomes a Swiss Army knife-type player, able to fit into whatever role is needed. His development over the next season or two will be intriguing to watch.

Moore is still just a pile of clay. He’s raw and needs to be sculpted into the player he will become. We have to remember that there are still so many moving pieces to this rebuild. He may not figure out exactly what he is until all core players are in place. Overall, he had an effective rookie season. His production could have been better, but he has the speed and work ethic to be a long-term piece of this core. His underlying numbers prove this. He gets a B-.

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