Oliver Moore, Nick Lardis could bolster Blackhawks’ depth with second-year leaps

After years of lacking star power beyond Connor Bedard, the Blackhawks hope and expect to have more difference-makers at the top of their lineup this year.

Summer additions Bowen Byram and Patrick Kane and talented European rookies Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov all have star potential. The Hawks will need at least two or three of those guys to be exceptional to make their playoff ambitions realistic.

But the Hawks will also need more depth. The Hurricanes demonstrated the value of that last spring during their Stanley Cup run, which they accomplished without any superstar-caliber linchpins. Hawks coach Jeff Blashill has discussed that repeatedly in recent weeks.

“Good teams have two lines,” Blashill said Friday. “Really good teams have three.”

Within the Hawks’ forward group, Nick Lardis and Oliver Moore stand out as second-year NHL players who have the potential to become important secondary contributors in different ways.

Both opened training camp in significant roles: Lardis on the second-line wing, Moore as the third-line center. Both possess one elite skill — Lardis’ shot and Moore’s speed — that makes them well-suited to fill a specific niche.

Both are intelligent players who were intentional about observing and learning as much as possible during their rookie seasons.

Both improved noticeably as the season progressed as a result, and it stands to reason that both could take major leaps this season after a summer of applying those lessons.

They’re also close friends who are living together this season.

Moore spent the final month of last season (while sidelined with an injury) watching games from different vantage points and contemplating how hockey at the NHL level is actually played.

He continued doing that during the playoffs — noticing, for example, how the Hurricanes “pressure pucks to create offense” — and during the world championships in May, which he participated in.

One of his observations: Even though the puck is always moving fast, some star players aren’t moving fast all the time, which theoretically gives them more time to process things and anticipate what will happen next.

This summer, Moore went to work on his own processing and anticipation skills.

“The biggest thing is just knowing when to make a play,” Moore said. “It’s hard in summers, but you can work on not forcing it, just holding onto it, making the right play when it’s available. At worlds, that was a big thing I tried to focus on: poise with the puck and not just showing it. I like to say, ‘The puck is gold.’

“I talked about not skating myself out of passing lanes and using my brain to navigate a little more. It wasn’t as much physical [improvement] this summer; it was more so the mental aspect.”

At center, those skills are especially important, and Moore is happy that Blashill has deployed him into the middle so far. His game “popped,” to use his word, once he moved to center last winter.

Blashill, however, sounds less committed to keeping Moore there long-term, especially once Bedard returns and adds another center to the depth chart.

“I’m not convinced that he’s better at center or wing,” Blashill said. “I don’t know that answer yet. I don’t know that he’s played enough.

“Moore is just going to be a better player this year. It’s a year under his belt. It’s a year of confidence. It’s a year of [experiencing] the ups and downs of pro. He’s got an opportunity to be better at both [positions], and we’re going to figure it out.”

Lardis, meanwhile, has focused on increasing his speed and explosiveness — as well as his confidence.

As a rookie, “your confidence isn’t fully there 100%,” Lardis admitted. But recording seven points (including five goals) in the Hawks’ last 13 games — after Blashill finally promoted him above the fourth line — proved to him that he belonged.

That was further reinforced by a weeklong trip to Vancouver this summer. It unfortunately came after Bedard’s injury, but Lardis felt good about his results training with and competing against Sharks youngsters Macklin Celebrini, Michael Misa and Sam Dickinson.

Although it’s risky drawing strong conclusions from camp practices, Lardis has nonetheless stood out. Blashill agreed with that, noting Lardis has looked “stronger [and] more confident” while skating alongside two talented teammates.

“I thought Frondell and Bertuzzi played really well together last year,” Blashill said. “Frondell has such efficient, good skill, but he also doesn’t over-complicate the game. He plays a fairly direct style, and so does ‘Bert.’

“With Nick, it gives them some added skill on that line, and a guy who has the ability to finish. I see Anton making a lot of plays, and…I want another guy on the other side who can finish some of those plays.”

The Hawks sent a roster largely comprised of AHL players to Minnesota for their preseason opener Saturday, a 3-2 overtime loss.

Their NHL players, including Moore and Lardis, should get to begin testing themselves against real competition for the first time Monday at home against the Wild.