Blackhawks rookie Oliver Moore learning he really is fast enough to blow past NHL competition

Blackhawks rookie forward Oliver Moore’s speed turned an otherwise nondescript puck flip out of the defensive zone by Frank Nazar on Saturday into a semi-breakaway.

Moore blew past Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe down the left wing, reaching a top speed of 21.62 mph — his fastest recorded speed in his first six NHL games of the season — to get to the puck first and generate a quality chance in alone on Leafs goalie Joseph Woll.

That exemplified the potentially game-changing aspect of Moore’s skating, which has immediately made him an asset to the Hawks since his call-up at the beginning of the month.

The 20-year-old forward projects to be — and has already been used by coach Jeff Blashill as — a Swiss Army knife who can fill any role in the top six or bottom six.

As a result, his niche will probably always be based more on his skills than his role, since the latter will likely change frequently. He’s still learning how to best use his skills — particularly his one elite skill — at the NHL level, though.

“Every game is an opportunity for me to show what I can do, and also get better and improve,” Moore said Friday.

During the second period Wednesday against the Devils, for example, Moore created another possible breakaway out of nowhere by building up speed on a breakout from the defensive zone, evading one Devil in the neutral zone and then catching a couple others flat-footed as he raced across the offensive blue line.

But instead of trying to beat Ondrej Palat and Stefan Noesen to the net — which it looked like he probably could do — Moore instead tried to force an improbable pass over to Connor Bedard trailing the play. The pass hit a skate and went awry.

That opportunity was wasted, but it added another data point to Moore’s mental calculation that he really is faster than most NHL competition. When he’s moving, he can beat almost anyone.

The more confident he becomes in that, the more plays he’ll make like the one Saturday.

“It’s a learning curve,” Moore said. “I think Connor would’ve been wide-open, and with his shot, you want to take that in those areas all day long. [You need to] know who you’re out there with. But [when you] beat those first couple guys and you have a lane, you might have more time and space than you think.

“I definitely, on the bench, had a little feeling that I could’ve had a breakaway there.”

Moore earned a secondary assist on Teuvo Teravainen’s game-tying goal Saturday and now has three points in six games, during which he has also recorded 20 speed bursts faster than 20 mph. It seems increasingly likely he won’t return to the AHL anytime soon.

Analytics models continue to disparagingly evaluate the Hawks’ team play, but Moore has been one exception. They’ve credited the team with a 36-34 advantage in scoring chances during his five-on-five ice time, making him the only Hawks forward above 50% during this span.

Another area in which Moore has been surprisingly effective: battles below the goal line in the offensive zone. That isn’t exactly what one would expect from a speedy, undersized guy, but he has nonetheless set up a handful of chances for teammates by winning battles down low.

Before practice Friday, Moore talked to Hawks skills coach Brian Keane about that very subject. He believes it has always been a strength of his, dating back to childhood after he watched YouTube videos of Sidney Crosby protecting the puck.

His quickness, footwork and scrappiness make it difficult for bigger defensemen to pin him against the boards.

“Any time you can draw a couple guys in, the slot is open down there a lot,” Moore said. “It’s definitely something I take pride in.”