When the Blackhawks broke camp with the 23 players currently on their roster earlier this fall, it went without saying that there would be plenty of moves between Chicago and Rockford for several players in the system. The cupboards are full for the Blackhawks, forcing them into leaving NHLers—or future NHLers—like Nick Lardis, Joey Anderson, Kevin Korchinski, and Ethan Del Mastro down with the IceHogs.
When center Jason Dickinson aggravated his shoulder injury in Thursday’s game against the Jets, a door for one of those players was cracked open. While Dickinson was initially considered day-to-day, the situation now seems to require a bit longer of a time frame—he was placed on injured reserve retroactive to October 30. On the bright side, that allows one young standout to get some valuable ice time. Oliver Moore, the fastest and perhaps most exciting player in the system, was recalled by the Blackhawks on Monday to join the team in Seattle.
Moore, a 20-year-old left-shot forward, has posted nine points, including six goals, in nine games with the IceHogs this season. His goals total leads all AHL rookies, while he finds himself in a tie for fourth in points. It’s a welcome change from the concerning numbers he posted at the University of Minnesota last season—while 33 points in 38 games isn’t a bad mark by any stretch, there were questions as to whether the finishing touch could match his elite speed. Those questions have been answered, and none of those goals have come on the power play. His skating ability is something that opposing coaches have to gameplan around, and that’s a valuable asset to have at any level.
While the Blackhawks only had an optional “morning” skate on Monday (1:30 p.m. CST), head coach Jeff Blashill said that Moore will be slotted into the lineup against the Kraken. We won’t know the lines for sure until warmups, and it’s tough to tell where he might end up. There’s an argument to be made for putting him on the same line as Connor Bedard, as his speed in tandem with Bedard’s playing ability would be lethal, but Bedard has also been outstanding with Ryan Green and Andre Burakovsky. The Teravainen–Nazar–Bertuzzi second line has been solid as well, and Moore likely won’t ever find himself on a checking line.
While this may seem at first glance like a simple injury replacement, it isn’t out of the question that Moore could stick in Chicago. The Blackhawks have utilized an 11 forward/7 defenseman lineup for almost the entire season, and while it’s brought them plenty of success, that trend may not last them forever. If Dickinson returns to the lineup only to find out that Moore has been fitting into the NHL perfectly, Chicago could keep them both at this level and send someone else to Rockford. If he manages to outplay a bottom-liner like Landon Slaggert, he could force the Blackhawks’ hand. If that happens, the Blackhawks—already a fun team to watch this year—could get even more exciting.
