Blackhawks Sign Oliver Moore To Five-Year Extension

The Chicago Blackhawks are tidying up one more piece of business before the 2026-27 season begins. Forward Oliver Moore has been signed to a five-year, $21.25MM extension per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The deal will begin in the 2027-28 season, after the conclusion of his entry-level contract this year. Moore will carry a $4.25MM cap hit, though his deal is front-loaded per PuckPedia. This means Moore will be paid $5.25MM in year-one, $4.25MM in year-two, $4MM in year-three and year-four, and $3.75MM in year-five.

Moore, 21, emerged as a workhorse winger for Chicago last season. He finished what was his first full year in the NHL with five goals, 19 points, 13 shot blocks, and 25 hits in 51 appearances. His hard-work was integral to the Blackhawks’ middle-six, providing them a chippy, utility tool with the speed and playmaking to play next to top talent like Frank Nazar and Teuvo Teravainen. The 5-foot-11 Moore did well to survive the dog days of the season, until he sustained a lower-body injury after Dallas Stars forward Colin Blackwell fell on his leg on March 8th. That injury would end Moore’s season early.

Chicago finished the season with a 6-10-4 record and 44-to-70 goal differential following Moore’s injury. Those were deflated numbers compared to their first stretch of the year – with their win percentage falling from 37.1 to 30.0 percent and their goals-for percentage falling from 45.2 percent to 38.6 percent.

Moore’s absence was profoundly felt by the lineup, even despite a quiet scoring season. He provided a pillar to Chicago’s lineup that helped to prop Nick Lardis and Tyler Bertuzzi into more clear-cut roles. Moore was also a flexible centerman, taking 205 faceoffs on the year and winning 99 of them, for a 48.3 faceoff percentage. Versatility underlined his first year at the top flight, and undoubtedly motivated Chicago to sign him to an early contract extension.

The Blackhawks will move forward with hopes that Moore is able to find his scoring at the top level. He potted four assists in the first nine games of his NHL career, at the tail-end of the 2024-25 season. Moore also played alongside Nazar, and many other budding NHL stars, as a 17-year-old playing for the U.S. NTDP’s U18 team in 2021-22. The duo have established chemsitry, with Moore operating as a speedy forechecker setting up Nazar as a flashy scorer. That chemistry could lead to a significant jump in Moore’s scoring as he enters his second NHL season with full health.

Moore will enter the 2026-27 season with the pressure of looming contract negotiations removed. He will be able to fully focus on returning to a workhorse role, and establishing his scoring, as part of a Blackhawks lineup that should provide a bit more offensive output. Moore should slot in as Chicago’s third-line left-winger, though he could rotate into the third-line center position with Ryan Donato while the team waits for newly-named captain Connor Bedard to get back to full health.