21 Months, 640 days to be exact, until the 2023 NHL Draft and I have one of the first-round selections that night written in ink.
OLIVER MOORE
The Mounds View native and former standout at Totino-Grace High School displayed his immense talent last weekend as he made his debut for the NTDP U-17’s at the NAHL Showcase. In the two exhibition games Moore tallied a goal on 4 shots and was a +1.
By making the NTDP, Moore was already considered a top 2005 DOB, but his early showing with the U17 team has hockey heads taking notice. Here are a few scouting notes I have on Moore from this weekend.
-Moore has positional intelligence. Keeps his feet moving without the puck in the O-Zone. Reads the play and his teammates for timing to receive a pass or crash the net for a tip or a rebound.
-Moore demonstrated his excellent tipping ability that almost resulted in a goal.
-Acceleration is superb, especially in short pivot situations. Shows great mobility with his edges and footwork.
-As always, Moore’s work ethic and overall effort is excellent. On Friday night when the St. Cloud Norsemen were leading by 4 goals, there was the same hustle and performance from Moore.
-Good job collecting the puck cleanly and using his body to protect the puck.
-A couple interactions where Moore was bumped off the puck, will look for continued development on the physical side of the game.
-Good offensive imagination, keeps defenders guessing.
-Demonstrated his ability to sort out options and play a 200-foot game.
– Has no issues transporting the puck in traffic or at high speed.
-Was very aggressive and was not intimidated in his first taste of junior level hockey
-Moore appears to have filled out a great deal since my last viewing in March.