NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Blackhawks made repeated attempts Wednesday to get higher in the under-10s in the first round of the NHL draft to pick up forward Oliver Moore.
There was no trade, but the Hawks still secured Moore as the number 19.
General Manager Kyle Davidson appeared shocked afterwards, admitting that Moore was well above 19th in the Hawks’ internal rankings. Adding both Connor Bedard and Moore to the prospect pool as #1 picks on day one of the draft is a colossal coup.
“I was on the phone the whole time, almost from the moment I was back in my seat [after picking Bedard] … I’m trying to get up with him,” Davidson said. “So it’s almost a perfect scenario where we just stayed [at 19th and] We didn’t have to do any extra tips to get up and get him.”
The Hawks have made elite skating their favorite trait for the past two years, and Moore is a great fit for that type. Davidson called him the “fastest player in the draft,” and he’s not alone in hockey circles to think so.
Scouting director Mike Doneghey mentioned that Moore’s flair for hockey matches his speed. Doneghey was also impressed with Moore’s defensive and penalty shoot-out reliability after last season.
“He has a really fast brain,” Doneghey said. “He can fly, but his brain and feet are on the same wavelength. He handles the game so well. … His speed gives him a lot of offensive chances, but he’s very detail-oriented on the defensive.”
Moore, a Minnesota native, scored 75 points in 61 games for the US National Team Development Program last season and is moving to the University of Minnesota next season — where he will be teammates with Sam Rinzel, the final 25th pick of the Hawks in the standings year.
He said he models his game after Red Wings star Dylan Larkin and uses his speed to ski through the middle of the ice. At the Scouting combine he weighed 5-11 and 190 pounds.
“I’m very proud of my defensive play and I think my transition to offense is really good for my age,” Moore said. “I’m just a fast player and I think a lot of NHL teams like to play fast. Obviously, so do the Hawks.”
The draft will continue on Thursday
Davidson and Hawks scouting director Mike Doneghey won’t get much sleep as the draft resumes at 10 a.m. Thursday.
The Hawks wanted to trade some of their four second-round picks for another late first-round pick on Wednesday, but nothing worked out. This gives them a huge selection right away on Thursday (35th, 44th, 51st and 55th place overall).
They should be able to attract other top prospects there. Doneghey said the Hawks had compiled a list of prospects who were likely to be included in various sections of the draft and did not match their organization’s desired characteristics — essentially a “no-draft” list — and that many players on that list were created by others teams were selected Wednesday.
That means many players who like the Hawks are still available. Top forwards still on publicly available rankings include Andrew Cristall, Riley Heidt, Gavin Brindley, Ethan Gauthier, Oscar Fisker Molgaard and Jayden Perron.
“We will continue to adhere to the characteristics of speed and competitiveness,” said Doneghey. “Right now we’re doing pretty well building that forward depth.”
The Hawks will also start Thursday with two third-round players and a pick each in the fourth, fifth and seventh rounds.
Caleb’s exit
The departure of defenseman Caleb Jones from the Hawks – he has not been offered a qualifying offer – is overshadowed by other news this week but is nonetheless a notable move by Davidson.
Jones averaged a respectable 19:13 minutes of ice time per game last season, up from 16:43 in his first Hawks season, and that average rose to 21:06 as of February 20. During that span of time he mainly starred in the first pairing with his brother Seth Jones – and with that in mind it will be interesting to hear how Seth reacts to this news.
Throughout his tenure, he struggled with consistency and costly turnovers, which frustrated the fanbase. A brutal stretch in November 2022 was particularly memorable.
But coach Luke Richardson continued to support him and seemed to appreciate Jones’ ability on the ice. Jones always took responsibility when it was necessary, while showing optimism about the future. His analysis has also been surprisingly good, which could help him land a new contract elsewhere this summer.