Strengths/Weaknesses
Moore possesses tremendous hockey sense and puck skills making him an incredible offensive force. He sees the ice well and understands how to get to the right spot on the ice at the right time to create offense. He's very comfortable with the puck on his stick and likely projects as more of a set-up man, but is capable of finishing off plays as well.
The big area of concern for Moore is his size. Being well under six feet tall in itself isn't necessarily a problem, but Moore's style of play isn't necessarily what you see out of smaller players that make it in the NHL. His skating is good enough to be average, but likely won't be a big asset to him. He doesn't play a heavy, physical game for his size either.
Is he trending up or down heading into the Draft?
Moore was on NHL Central Scouting's radar in his first year of draft eligibility in 2013, peaking at 108th among North American skaters in the mid-term rankings, before dropping to 192nd in their final ranking, and eventually going undrafted, mostly due to his size. Since then, Moore has put together two excellent seasons at the University of Denver.
This past year, playing in college hockey's toughest conference, the NCHC, Moore scored 22 goals and 22 assists for 44 points, putting him a single point behind co-league leaders Danton Heinen(Moore's linemate), and recent Boston Bruins signee Austin Czarnik. Moore's 22 goals also led the league in goal scoring.
Showing that he can not only handle such a tough environment, but also thrive in it should alleviate at least some of the concerns about his size. In a league loaded with drafted NHL prospects and top free agent targets, Moore stood out as arguably the league's best forward.
What is his upside as a pro?
This area is the tricky part for Moore. There's no doubt that he's an exceptional player at the NCAA level, but it's bit harder to envision where he might fit in on an NHL team. Moore is the type of slippery, offensive-minded player that excels playing a top line offensive role and seeing power play time. It's questionable if he has the type of talent to do that at the NHL level. And traditionally, players with Moore's size struggle to find roles on lower lines in more of a checking role. Attitudes are slowly changing in the NHL, however, and Moore's skill with the puck could make him a dangerous offensive threat on a lower line.