On Thursday, Corey Pronman at The Athletic published a new first-round mock draft. You might recall a couple weeks ago Pronman and Scott Wheeler co-wrote a two-round mock draft, which included six Blackhawks selections. This one only has two, but the player he has Chicago selecting at No. 19 overall is noteworthy.
In their mock a couple weeks ago, Wheeler had the Blackhawks selecting forward Daniil But. In that mock, Wheeler and Pronman alternated picks. This time, it’s Pronman on the clock on behalf of Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks’ front office.
Pronman has Chicago selecting center Oliver Moore.
Oliver Moore, C
5-11, 188
Shoots: Left
NHL Central Scouting Rank: No. 8 North American skater
Pronman’s No. 19 overall ranked prospect
Pronman’s comment: “Trying to figure out Moore’s slot, like Benson’s, has been difficult. Some scouts think he’ll be long gone by this part of the draft; some think he could go later than this. I think No. 15 to No. 20 is a reasonable range and a second first for Chicago at No. 19 is a reasonable pick. Moore, Barlow and Yager could all be options to further bolster their forward group of prospects.“
Pronman’s analysis: “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.“
My comment: This is a player I have with an asterisk heading into the draft for the Blackhawks. He isn’t 6-3 or 210 pounds, but the first thing Pronman said in his analysis (which is from his Top 142 Rankings from earlier this week) is why this player is likely circled by the Blackhawks as well. Remember the comments about Frank Nazar last year? Elite Skater. So when you see Moore being touted as the best skater in what is being hyped as as historically deep, good draft is absolutely noteworthy. If the player works hard, has good tools and can fly, that’s a player I’ll sign up to watch.
It’s worth mentioning that Moore is committed to play at the University of Minnesota next year, a top-tier college program what will also have defenseman Sam Rinzel, drafted in the first round by the Blackhawks last year, as a freshman on their roster this fall.
For what it’s worth, Wheeler selected Moore 15th overall to Nashville in their two-round mock draft. That’s absolutely a consideration; Nashville is going to go after centers in this draft. Between Moore, Nate Danielson and Brayden Yager, the Blackhawks might need to jump in front of the Preds to get one if they’re targeting him specifically.