BSH 2023 Community Draft Board, No. 7: Oliver Moore

The draft board rolls on and we’re finally moving into the territory of talking about players that the Flyers have a real reasonable chance of grabbing.

Oliver Moore, despite being lost in the shuffle a bit in all of the discussion around this year’s NTDP class – he was bumped down to the second line and fell into the shadow of those top line players in Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, and Gabe Perrault, and didn’t get the usage to put up quite the flashy numbers they did – is still an excellent player with a really exciting toolkit all around, and could well turn out to be one of the steals in this year’s draft class. Let’s get into it.

Pre-Draft Rankings

No. 8 (North American skaters) by NHL Central Scouting
No. 11 by TSN/Bob McKenzie
No. 6 by EliteProspects
No. 19 by The Athletic/Corey Pronman
No. 13 by FCHockey

Statistics

What’s there to like?

What most immediately pops about Moore’s game, of course, is his speed. He’s one of the best skaters in this draft class, comfortably, with a truly excellent top gear in a straight line. He’s explosive in his first few steps when he needs to be, but his stride is also very smoothe, and he’s able to cut and pivot well, making him elusive in smaller areas – he can bear you more ways than just one on one in a straight line – and a real threat on the cycle.

There’s also quite a bit of finesse to Moore’s game. He’s quick to identify passing and shooting lanes as they open and be quite an effective distributor. He has a sneaky quick and powerful one timer and can beat goalies from a distance, and also boasts good hands in tight to convert on high danger chances.

But on top of all of this, what really elevates Moore’s game is his motor. The kid just works. His overall quickness is a real asset to him here as well, as he’s able to close gaps well to get after opponents and force turnovers, and once he has that puck away from them, he’s gone (in this way, he’s tremendously effective at transitioning from defense to offence). He’s a very strong forechecker, and he isn’t quick to give up on a play. Despite his size, he’s good along the boards in battles there.

What’s more, he’s a versatile player (in that he can play both center and wing) and who can be trusted in all situations, as he spent this past season running the NTDP’s second power play unit and served as one of their top penalty killers. There’s a lot in this package that would and should intrigue teams, and as we said, he could well be one of the big steals in this year’s draft.

What’s not to like?

If there’s ohe one piece that’s splitting scouts, it’s Moore’s size. He’s listed at 5’11, 176 pounds now, so he’ll have to add a bit of weight and strength down the line, this much we’re not arguing, but those numbers are enough to give the Size Obsessed a bit of pause. He’ll also need a bit of time to polish out his game at the college level, but for a team who’s not really in a rush to have him in the mix with the NHL squad, this won’t be a problem.

There are also some questions about his projection at the NHL level. Some have argued that he projects to be more of a support player on a line, not the main scorer. And, of course, there’s value to be found in that type of player – put him with more of a pure scorer and he’ll do the dirty work to make space for them to do their thing – but it’s a projection that the team drafting him would have to be comfortable with.

How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?

Running with that last thread from that last section, while there are some who might look at Moore and say “if he’s not going to be The Guy on his line, I don’t want him,” there’s actually a case to be made that his projection is more valuable to the Flyers in the context of the prospect and younger player pool. The Flyers are close to flush with scorers, and what they’re lacking is players who can get them the puck so they can score, and while Moore doesn’t have to elite playmaking ability that you’ll find elsewhere in this class, he’s strong enough in this area and works hard enough that he’ll get that job done. The Flyers need more skilled (and fast, to boot) support players, if you will, and Moore would check that box for them.

Can the Flyers actually get him?

We’ve moved into the section of the first round where the order projections are a little all over the place. While a team picking before the Flyers might be enticed to go a little off-board and grab Moore – we’ve seen stranger things happen – it feels more likely that he would still be available to the Flyers at seven.  

What the scouts are saying

The U18 team’s first line of Smith, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault piled up the points and attention (deservedly so) this year, but I’ve been as impressed by Moore and the offence he has created as the focal point of its second line from start to finish. 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. –Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

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. – Dayton Reimer, The Hockey Writers

Another addition to the poll, and we’re sticking with the NTDP theme with Ryan Leonard.

He’s a versatile, powerful, high-RPM player who makes things happen when he’s on the ice and pulls teammates into the fight with his scrappy, competitive, never-stop style. He’s not just the energy guy though, either. He’s got really quick side-to-side hands, a hard shot that rattles off of his stick, and quick crossover patterns that allow him to use those hands to get to places where he can look to shoot. Add in the strength and power that comes with his stocky frame, an ability to drive and shed contact when he gets bumped, and a defensive conscience, and there’s more than just a hands-shot-worker skill set. – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

Who should be No. 8 on the Community Draft Board?

Previously on the 2023 Community Draft Board…

1. Connor Bedard
2. Adam Fantilli
3. Matvei Michkov
4. Leo Carlsson
5. Will Smith
6. Zach Benson
7. Oliver Moore
8. ???