The Chicago Blackhawks preseason is well under way, and as their franchise guy Connor Bedard is gearing up to step into his third NHL season, he is yet to find his perfect set of teammates. But fellow first round draft pick Oliver Moore is now proving to be a real candidate.
Moore, who was selected in the first round of the 2023 NHL draft with Connor Bedard, returned to the University of Minnesota following his draft year, and joined the Hawks for 9 games at the end of last season alongside Gophers teammate Sam Rinzel. However, the opening games of the Blackhawks preseason road trip have really shown why Moore has all the elements of being a perfect linemate for Bedard.
With those like Ryan Donato, Andre Burakovsky, Frank Nazar, and Tyler Bertuzzi all being players who were paired with Bedard last season, it looks like under new head coach Jeff Blashill that those players will slip into their own individual roles, and some of those exciting rookies in the prospect pool like Moore could earn themselves roster spots from night one.
The standout player so far for me during the preseason has to be Oliver Moore, scoring a beauty of a goal against St Louis, and showcasing that blistering speed he is known for. Having four assists during his brief stint with the Hawks last season wasn't enough to show us what we really want to know about Oliver Moore, but his preseason performances so far have proved why he is a pending superstar.
As far as being a top line player goes, Moore still has lots to brush up on, but with the work Bedard put in over the offseason concerning speed and explosiveness, there is nobody better on the ice when it comes to changing the speed of the game than Oliver Moore, and pairing the two up next season could be a recipe for some serious success, and could be exactly what Bedard needs for a major breakout season.
Moore is a player who moves the puck quicker than most, and has the puck on a string when it comes to entering the offensicve zone, not to mention his speed off the puck in transition. As much of a sharpshooter as Bedard is, and assisting machine who keeps up with the ever growing NHL pace is what he has been crying out for, and there is no better way for Oliver Moore to fully develop his game than jumping straight into the deep end, and providing Bedard with exactly what be needs to prove he really is a generational talent.