In and around a month ago, it was all but locked in that the first four names to be selected off the board during the 2023 NHL Entry Draft would be Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, and Matvei Michkov. Even with the Russian-factor kicking in, Michkov remained in the top-4 with the possibility of being the third overall selection with how the Columbus Blue Jackets have drafted in the past.
That sentiment has changed and although there’s a good chance he remains a top-4 pick, there’s equally a good chance he slips and falls into the lap of the Philadelphia Flyers at 7. Now suppose Daniel Brière and Keith Jones don’t want to run the risk with Michkov, who some believe is tanking his own draft stock, the draft board changes completely and they’re left with a few choices that are a tad underwhelming than we had originally hoped for.
Bedard goes to the Chicago Blackhawks, Fantilli to the Anaheim Ducks, Carlsson to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and then some combination of Smith, Benson, and Leonard to the San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens, and Arizona Coyotes.
If Michkov is overlooked by the Flyers for whatever reason and the aforementioned players follow suit in that order, we are left with Dalibor Dvorsky, and Oliver Moore as your top forward options. There are others in Nate Danielson, Gabe Perreault, Matthew Wood, and Brayden Yager but they could be seen as reaches at the 7th slot.
Dalibor Dvorsky is one of many young Slovakians churning their way onto the NHL landscape. The 18-year-old from Zvolen, Slovakia, stands in at 6’1 and 200 lbs, plays both the centre position and right wing, and has spent his junior years primarily in Sweden.
In 2021-22 he played in the J20 Nationell for AIK J20 where he scored 20 goals and 40 points in just 33 games before playing in 17 games for AIK in the HockeyAllsvenskan – the second-tier Swedish hockey league. He also scored 15 goals and 25 points in 14 games for Slovakia in all U18 competitions and even scored a goal and added an assist in 4 games at the World Juniors.
This past season he scored 10 goals and 21 points in 10 games for AIK J20 before scoring 6 goals and 14 points in 38 games for AIK in the HockeyAllsvenskan. He added 8 goals and 13 points in 7 games at the World Juniors U18 for Slovakia before making another appearance at the World Junior Championships with 1 goal and 3 points in 5 games.
Dvorsky is not a household name like some of the others that have participated in the North American circuits or even fellow Swede, Leo Carlsson, however he is a raw prospect that should not be overlooked.
EliteProspects wrote: “Dvorsky is always attacking inside, with and without the puck, and he has the skill to dangle defenders on his way there. He sees teammates quickly, too. He’s really capable of keeping the puck under pressure and his technique, rolling/short motions, is great.”
Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News: “The reason for Dvorsky’s low ranking relative to the public consensus is he is far too willing to let the play come to him and set up for a shot or stationary playmaking opportunity, such as the power play. He has a ton of talent but wants to ride shotgun when he should be the driver of the bus.”
Josh from Smaht Scouting: “Unfortunately, his stock has fallen this season. Dvorsky is being deployed as a center with AIK, but he isn’t a big factor when it comes to north-south puck movement. He isn’t overly involved in transition.”
Corey Pronman of The Athletic: “He is a player with a ton of offensive ability and is deadly within the offensive zone due to a great combination of skill, vision and a shot that is a legit threat from range. Dvorsky can pick apart defenses and a power play can run through him.”
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic: “He uses his body to gain inside positioning on defenders and shields pucks effectively. But he has struggled in spurts with the pace required of centres at higher levels (whether that be this summer’s world juniors, or the pro game, he could stand to get and play a little quicker) and some scouts worry about his consistency at five-on-five.”
Alexa Potack of Dobber Prospects: “No matter the level, Dvorsky’s complete playmaking skillset is obvious in his confident stickhandling, passing, and shooting. He is also a scoring threat on the powerplay with his great shot, typically coming from the right faceoff circle.”
Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet before the season started: “At the start of the scouting season in his underaged year, one scout had Dvorsky as a surefire top five pick. He’s not far off, but finding playing time on one team as opposed to bouncing up and down in Sweden, will surely help.”
Sam Cosentino at the mid-term mark: “There is a power element to his game that should allow him to produce more consistently and that may happen at the world juniors.”
So essentially he is an offensive weapon, has a great shot, is a good playmaker, has the size and strength with the vision and the smarts to be an elite player some day. However he needs to fix his 5-on-5 game, his north-south game, and get comfortable down the middle otherwise his draft stock could take a hit if some GMs think he’ll remain a winger. His transition game hurt him this year but let’s also not forget he was a 17-year-old in Sweden and playing in one of the top leagues in Europe. He has the frame of an NHL power forward and just needs to fine tune his game to fit the centre position.
Then we have Oliver Moore, who was a part of another talented U.S. National U18 team that included Gabe Perreault and his 53 goals and 132 points (63 games), Will Smith and his 51 goals and 127 points (60 games), and Ryan Leonard with his 51 goals and 94 points (57 games). Moore came in 4th on the team with 31 goals and 75 points in 61 games. He also added 8 goals and 25 points in 23 games for the USNTDP Juniors.
The Mounds View, Minnesota, native stands in at 5’11 and 176 lbs, plays the centre position, and will be committing to the University of Minnesota in 2023-24.
Elite Prospects mentioned that: “He’s always working to win races, be first on loose pucks, and create. Lots of skating skills: cutbacks, cuts, jabs, heel-to-heel, and more, and he uses them all at different speeds. At his best, Moore’s anticipation allows him to process plays one or two steps ahead of everyone else on the ice. Blended eye- level deception and feints clear bodies and sticks, opening up passing lanes that other, less inventive players may not be able to access.”
Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News: “Moore is a dual threat who adapts to his teammates extremely well. He isn’t the fastest or biggest player, but he just plays hockey the way it should be played. Moore is a high-paced thinker who changes speeds, alters angles and moves the puck into high danger areas with regularity.”
Austin Garret of Smaht Scouting: ” Additionally he is an elite skater, is exceptional in defending the neutral zone and a great support in the defensive/offensive zone and has an underrated shot. My only gripe with Moore is his pension for attacking the zone at his top speed at all times.”
Corey Pronman of The Athletic: “What makes Moore so intriguing is his skating ability. He’s one of the best — if not the best — skaters in the draft, with explosive speed and strong edge work. He combines that with very good puck skills and the ability to make some plays to his teammates.”
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic: “Moore wants to hang onto the puck and make plays, he’s got an impressive one-timer from the right flank, he’s a fast skater in straight-line races and in quick bursts, and he uses some clever movement patterns to make defencemen miss and get to his spots as a shooter. I don’t see a lot to nitpick in either his tools or his approach.”
Nick Richard of Dobber Prospects: “He is a speedy and energetic forward who accelerates through crossovers and has a great first step to navigate tight spaces, separating from defenders to win short-area races both in possession and in pursuit.”
With Moore you get an energetic player with tons of hustle and a great work ethic, he has an excellent release on his shot, end-to-end speed, a great skater – which is always a boon – and can make some exceptionally skilled plays from in tight. His playmaking ability is top notch, he is said to have soft hands, and has a proclivity to hang onto the puck.
In a phone call with NBC Sports Philadelphia, Dan Marr, the director of NHL Central Scouting said this about the youngster:
“Oliver Moore, one of the things he has going for him is he might be one of the best athletes in the draft class. Like, in all the testing scores, he has kind of been at the top in just about all the categories. You have a good athlete. That sheer speed that he has, you can put him on the ice in any situation.”
“As a younger player, I’m pretty sure he’s going to be a penalty killer to start off with just so that the coach will get him ice time. Because he’s going to create so many scoring chances on the PK, he creates so many odd-man rushes just because he’s got that breakaway speed.”
“Down low, he’s quick. Just the elements that he brings and the way he utilizes them; there are a lot of players where their head can’t keep up to the speed of their feet, but he’s not one of them. When you have someone that can execute the plays and see the ice at that top speed, it’s a pretty good prospect.”
The general theme has been his skating/speed and that’s always something that prospects come into the draft with a “needs improvement” tag. He’s a bundle of energy, can play in all situations, and is already pegged as a penalty killer which is such a vital role in the NHL right now – especially for the lowly Flyers.
With how aggressive penalty killing units have become and what we saw from Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny last year, Moore should fit right in while shorthanded. Add in the sure-footed veterans in Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson and Moore will have no problem thriving under their tutelage.
His scoring might not jump out at you compared to Perreault, Smith, or Leonard but he is the next best thing after the top-6 and in contrast to Perreault – who pegs to be at the higher end of the mid-round – Moore provides the better complete package.
This is all under the assumption that 1) the Flyers draft a forward, 2) Matvei Michkov is not an option for a variety of reasons, 3) Benson, Smith, and Leonard are off the board, and 4) the Flyers aren’t necessarily trying to nab a defenseman so soon.
Dvorsky and Moore are two prospects that won’t be knocking on the door just yet, however with the timeline of contention being 3-4 years down the road, the Flyers are in a position to patiently wait for the fruits of their labour to ripen.
Dvorsky has a lot of work to do with his transition game, managing the centre position, and playing a better brand of hockey 5-on-5, however he possesses elite offensive abilities. While Moore is a speedy, playmaking, crafty centre-man who possesses the full-package game that most GMs love, he needs to develop into a more dynamic offensive player. He isn’t an elite scoring machine but he does a little bit of everything that makes him a tantalizing prospect.
The Michkov debate will rage on until the first round is done with on the 28th of June at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The Russian-factor is truly a lingering shadow for several general managers and scouts and if the Flyers are apart of that group – as well as some of the teams ahead of them in the draft order – then they will have to look elsewhere with the draft board having a rippling effect after the 3rd overall selection.
Moore and Dvorsky will prove to be top prospects for the Flyers for years to come but they don’t hold the “elite” tag-line that some of the others – however, as is the case with 17-18 year old prospects, only time will tell with their whole careers ahead of them.
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