Oliver Moore didn’t like the start of his season. But like his American teammates on the gold medal World Juniors team, he had a heck of a second half.
“Slow start for sure, not the start I wanted just offensively with the adjustments that were being made,” Moore said. “Adversity is good, learned to deal with it a lot this year and I feel like I had to gain a lot of confidence especially after winning World Juniors, which is obviously an unbelievable experience as well.”
Moore leads the middle of CHN’s rankings, slotting in as the fourth best prospect in the Blackhawks system. Trailing him is netminder Drew Commesso at number five and it’s Golden Gophers teammate Sam Rinzel as the book end to the 4th-6th range.
Roommates at Minnesota, Moore and Rinzel had the unique opportunity to go through their freshman season together not only as college teammates, but prospects of the same team, too.
So it’s only fitting the find themselves linked together in the latest of our prospect rankings.
#4: Oliver Moore
What Oliver Moore did in the second half of the season is what fans and the front office were hoping to see. Of the 33 points he had during his freshman campaign, 21 (7-14) of them came following that gold medal with the US. Moore’s speed is what set him apart in the 2023 Draft, and continues to be his most devastating asset. Moore checks in at the same spot as we had him last season, albeit in a tie with Frank Nazar. So a sophomore season that mirrors what Nazar did at Michigan last season likely gets him the entry-level deal at the end of the season.
#5: Drew Commesso
Commesso was his steady self in his first professional season. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have his share of stretches, as Rockford IceHogs bench boss Anders Sorensen called them, where he had to fight through. What impressed Sorensen was how he responded, which was always bouncing back from what could derail many first year pros.
“A huge part of development is how you handle those ups and downs,” Sorensen told Chicago Hockey Now. “He handled those speed bumps really well. He’s composed–he doesn’t get too up or down.”
That even demeanor helped Commesso to a .906 save percentage and 18 wins. In his three appearances in the Calder Cup playoffs, Commesso posted a 1-2 mark but that save percentage went up eight points against a very tough Grand Rapids Griffins squad. While the Griffins won the series, Commesso flashed the skill that many feel will get him to the NHL as a regular.
#6: Sam Rinzel
The second of the Gophers in this piece, Rinzel skated away with rookie of the year honors for Minnesota. He also focused intently on what he felt was a major weakness–which was coincidentally enough his defense.
“For me, a knock on me was my defensive ability and that took big strides this year,” Rinzel said. “Going up a level to the college level, I was making sure I was shutting down players and using my abilities and my skating and everything, my reach. And I want to keep growing my offensive game as well.”
Rinzel’s numbers were on par with what one would expect from an offensive minded defenseman, 28 points with two finding the back of the net in 39 games. Like his college roommate, he might be booking new rooming arrangements with Moore if they both continue their high end play. Both could find themselves signing entry-level deals at season’s end, potentially getting a shot in Chicago for a cup of coffee before heading to Rockford.
But the bigger win? Rinzel would complement what is developing into an impressive future defensive corps in Chicago. Rinzel could join Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic, and potentially Ethan Del Mastro who seems the next best bet to be with the Blackhawks. That’s a lot of speed and skill on the back end of the ice–one that could anchor the Blackhawks for years to come.
