2024-25 Team: U.S. National Under-18 Team (USNTDP)
Date of Birth: March 24, 2007
Place of Birth: Mississauga, ON, CAN
Height: 6-foot-2, Weight: 174 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Center
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2025 first-year eligible
William Moore had some top-10 prospect hype before his 2024–25 season began. Although his stock has declined a bit in the months since, he’s an intelligent playmaking center whose production only improved with time. One of the top scorers on the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) under-18 squad with all-situations usage, Moore will still likely be a touted commodity when the 2025 NHL Draft begins on June 27.
Regarding his scoring output, it was a tale of two seasons for Moore. In the first half, he recorded 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points in 32 games with the USNTDP—a point-per-game rate of 0.72. In the second half, he surged up to 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 points in 32 games. With 1.13 points per game, that’s a 57% increase. While his goal-scoring was likely unsustainable long-term (he converted on 27% of his shots), he also nearly doubled his assist total.
Working in Moore’s favor is his standout performance at the under-18 World Junior Championship, which concluded on May 3. His 11 points (three goals, eight assists) tied him for fifth in tournament scoring, and a 3-assist effort against Slovakia in the United States’ 4–3 overtime win for the bronze medal was a high note to end on.
Getting to his game, Moore is a decisive playmaker. When he’s piling up assists, it doesn’t always appear as though he was a major factor in the play. In reality, he can open up defenses with his intelligent and accurate passes. A lot of his best sequences in this area were inside the offensive zone, but he also showed flashes as an off-the-rush creator. Moore didn’t score 27 goals by accident, either. He has a solid shot, and he combines that with a nose for the net front. His skating is so-so, but it has room for growth.
On top of his offensive gifts, Moore has two-way potential. While not a grind-in-the-corners type, he was on the USNTDP’s penalty kill for a reason. He’s aggressive and disruptive when he needs to be, able to force turnovers as a result. There’s a promising defensive brain here, but his shutdown ability is developing.
To complement his playmaking game, Moore could use a bit more strength. He played against college-aged competition this season, but Moore wasn’t necessarily an imposing physical threat despite his 6-foot-2 stature—there were some instances where he was shrugged off. He’ll look to hone that side of his game with Boston College in the coming years.
Moore could be a riser come draft day with his late-season production, but expect him to be selected between the mid-20s and mid-30s overall range.
“Moore is a big body who is difficult to check and has the ability to take over shifts offensively. Sometimes it takes prospects who grow tall early in their development more time to mature in all areas of their game.” – Jason Bukala, Sportsnet
“Moore is a 6-foot-2 center who can challenge offensively and go directly at players with his skill and skating but can also at times drift to the perimeter and just needs to attack and create more consistently. When he plays to the middle and gets off the wall to the inside, he can show speed, skill and scoring and be a lot to handle.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic (from ‘2025 NHL Draft prospects: Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa pull away in Wheeler’s March top 64 ranking,’ The Athletic – March 25, 2025)
“Moore is at his best when acting as a facilitator, working give-and-go’s, spotting passing lanes and hitting teammates driving to the net. He must get a bit quicker on his feet, but it’s an area that’s shown improvement this season.” – Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News
Moore projects as a middle-six center with all-situations usage, based on his tools and production. His two-way upside should make him well-liked by professional coaches down the line.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 3/5, Reward – 4/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense – 6.5/10, Defense – 6/10
Moore finds Kvasnicka in front for the tying goal!
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) May 3, 2025#U18MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/o7pDNsjrU8
They all count the same
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) May 1, 2025#U18MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/HP1YAHnFBB
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