2023 NHL DRAFT CLASS - OLIVER MOORE

With the 2023 NHL Draft coming up next week, we're profiling some of the players that may be of interest to the Flames when they make their selection at 16th overall. In this edition, we take a closer look at forward Oliver Moore of the USNTDP.

Height: 5'11" Weight: 195 lbs.
Position: Centre
Hometown: Mounds View, Minn., USA
Final Ranking: 8th (North American Skaters)

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Oliver Moore is impossible to miss.

But also, impossible to catch.

We're not talking about a player that's a 'good' skater in any sense of the word. No, there's a chasm between that blasé benchmark and the type of explosiveness this fleet-of-foot prospect commands the ice with, both from a standstill, on his edges, or at the top end.

He's that dynamic.

That impressive.

And that ready to show it off soon at the NHL level.

"It's definitely gotten better and better over the years," Moore laughed when posed with utterly verbose question of, 'How?!' "I was kind of a faster kid at everything I did growing up, whether it was running or playing other sports away from hockey."

It's a weapon, alright.

As a youngster, he set a school track record, running a mile in under five minutes - a talent he evidently picked up from his mother, Shawna, who was a frequent marathon runner.

Strangely, his foot speed didn't immediately translate to the ice, with a flaw in his mechanics creating a rocky stride, instead of a smooth, effortless motion through his lower body. Because of that, the Moore family enlisted the help of skating coach Katie McDonough, who founded Cutting Edge Performance Power Skating near his home in Mounds View, Minn. Within weeks - and after stripping his movements down to the foundation - it all clicked and his natural ability took over.

"She really developed me into the skater that I am today," Moore says. "I started with her when I was in seventh or eighth grade and we've been at it ever since."

Nowadays, Moore is now drawing comparisons to Connor McDavid, with Brian Galivan - Director of Sport Science for the U.S. National Team Development Program -

telling The Athletic

his talents are "God-given" and that there's "no way" McDavid is as fast.

"Oliver is probably one of the few guys who could play professionally in another sport," Galivan

said to reporter Scott Wheeler

. "We're not going to take any credit for it. He's a special athlete and I'd be hard-pressed if there was anyone in the draft class who is as good of an athlete as him.

"There's just no way."

Moore had a massive offensive season at the NTDP, recording 75 points (31G, 44A) to finish fourth in team scoring behind Gabe Perreault, Will Smith and Ryan Leonard, and doing it all full gallop.

The 5-foot-11, 195-lb. left-shot winger knows that his agility will make him an immediate threat at almost any level he plays at - but rounding out the rest of his game is crucial to developing into that unstoppable force he dreams of becoming. It's why, in addition to looking up to players like McDavid and Dylan Larkin, he's also given much of his attention to Nathan MacKinnon and those known for their intensity.

"Obviously, the part of my game that stands out the most is definitely my speed - but something I've really developed over the years is my compete level," Moore said. "I take things personally on the ice and use it as motivation.

"That's what the NTDP is all about, really. We had a rough (Under-) 17 year and no one really had that high of expectations for our team the following season. Obviously, we were able to accomplish a lot against the NCAA and USHL, and then winning the gold medal (at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship).

"Here, you have 23 of the best guys in the country coming together and practicing with each other every single day. We create a bond where we can compete against each other in practice and get better every day. Honestly, the games sometimes feel easier because we're so hard on each other in practice and in the weight room as well. We develop ourselves physically as well and those things are what make it what it is."

Moore - who moved to Plymouth, Mich. to be part of the program when he was only 16 - is not only inspired by the hard-workers on the ice, but in the business world, too.

His billet mom, Lynsey Taulbee, is the owner of Muddy Acres Flower Farm in Plymouth. It's where Moore has called home the last two years, learning the value of hard work, discipline, and even how to publicize a brand, with Taulbee's Instagram account amassing more than 115,000 followers.

And much like the roses that have grown there before him, Moore's game has been carefully nurtured to bloom at just the right time.

Now, he's on the doorstep of the NHL Draft - entering as the eighth-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.

"Every year - from the moment I arrived - the goal was to become the best version of myself," Moore said. "Even if that's getting 1% better, if you do that in all areas of your game, you're going to set yourself well for the future.

"This summer, I'm going to watch a lot of film and really focus on learning the game. On the ice, I think it's getting a little bit better at little things like pass reception, my shot, slowing the game down... Just getting a little bit better in every area, including my strength and speed. I think there's a lot I can improve on as a player and I'm really excited about this summer to have the opportunity to work on these things and prepare myself for a great year next year."