Throughout the course of last season, many words were written about the Edmonton Oilers’ lack of ability in the face-off circle. The club acquired David Desharnais at the trading deadline, but he struggled in the circle and failed to have an impact for the club for the large part.
It’s not at the top of the list this off-season, but adding a depth forward that can help with face-offs and on the penalty kill certainly should be something Peter Chiarelli considers doing. Veteran Dominic Moore, who has tons of experience in the above mentioned roles, could be a perfect and cheap veteran free agent addition for the club.
Why Is He Out There?:
Moore signed a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins last summer and was quite serviceable in a bottom-six role for the club. He handled a ton of PK minutes and actually provided some offense from the bottom of the roster. Moore is a pending free agent and it makes sense that Boston would let him walk.
Why? The Bruins have a bunch of young forwards pushing up from the AHL and those guys could take Moore’s spot, which would benefit the Bruins long-term. Austin Czarnik, Danton Heinen, Anton Blidh, Anders Bjork and Jake DeBrusk are all pushing for NHL time and could make Moore expendable for the B’s.
That said, according to WEEI in Boston, Moore is hoping to return to Boston.
What Does He Do Well?:
Moore is one of the better defensive forwards in the NHL today, and while he won’t provide much offense he’ll still be a valuable piece to any lineup he is a part of. He’s a smart player, has great defensive instincts and can contribute on special teams.
This past season, Moore had a 54.6% success rate on 654 face-offs taken and averaged 12:56 TOI per game. He’s a left shot, which isn’t a great fit for Edmonton, but he’s versatile enough that he can play both wing and center while also having the ability to move up the lineup for short stretches.
Moore’s bread and butter is his defensive game. He’s a solid in his own zone and can agitate opponents. He’d help out on the penalty kill and can contribute some offensively, evident by his 11-14-25 in 82 regular season games this past season.
Where Will He Play/Where Should He Play?:
Moore was Boston’s fourth line center a year ago and handled that role perfectly. In an ideal world, that is exactly where Moore would be next season. As mentioned above, Moore is versatile and can play on the wing so let’s say that he should be a fourth line depth forward.
In Edmonton, that’s exactly where he would play. Just looking at the depth-chart right now, Moore slides in perfectly as the left winger on the fourth line with Mark Letestu and, say, Zack Kassian. Moore would also see PK time and be able to shift to center should Mark Letestu be needed elsewhere in the lineup.
What Will He Cost?:
Moore signed a one-year deal worth $1,000,000 with Boston last summer and that is most likely around the number he’ll get this time around too. Moore is a serviceable player but not one that will break the bank, and at this stage of his career Moore is likely looking for the best chance to win.
I’ll say his one-year, $1,000,000 deal last year is the asking price again this time around.
Closing Argument:
Good NHL teams have depth, it’s that simple. The Edmonton Oilers have some depth, but they stand to improve on it this off-season. Dominic Moore would be a perfect depth addition because not only can he play and is cheap, but he actually fits a specific need for this club.
If Peter Chiarelli wants to help this team in the face-off circle and on the PK, then he should take a long look at the veteran Moore. He’s not a sexy name, but this is a very serviceable player who can help strengthen the bottom of Edmonton’s roster for the 2017-18 season.
Free agency can be a dangerous venture, but adding a low-risk option like Moore can only help a team looking to take that next step towards Cup contender.
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