Breaking Down Oliver Moore’s Contract Extension With Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks followed suit with the current trend of paying players now based on what they could be to save money in the future with the rising salary cap.

The Blackhawks and Oliver Moore agreed on a five-year, $21.25 million deal with a $4.25 million average annual value (AAV) that will begin next season. What does this mean for the Blackhawks and Moore? 

Moore’s Road With the Blackhawks 

Moore was selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. At the time, general manager Kyle Davidson was looking for pure speed and explosiveness in the draft, and Moore offered just that. The pick wasn’t just based on his skating abilities, as he had 33 points in 39 games with the University of Minnesota in the NCAA and had a great World Junior tournament with Team USA. 

Moore made his NHL debut on March 30, 2025, at the end of the 2024-25 season. He finished the campaign with the Hawks, having four assists in nine games. Moore began the 2025-26 campaign with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL). He tallied nine points in nine games and was immediately called up shortly into the season in November 2025. 

In a struggling Blackhawks season, Moore was one of the bright spots based on his potential. He had five goals and 14 assists for 19 points in 51 games. He didn’t have much help toward the end of the season, since Nick Foligo was traded to the Minnesota Wild to play with his brother Marcus, and the bottom six as a whole wasn’t too strong. However, Moore made do with what he had and earned this contract heading into the upcoming 2026-27 season. 

Banking on Moore’s Success

Moore’s game relies heavily on his speed, explosiveness, and high motor. Unfortunately, Moore hasn’t had much of that on his lines in the 60 games he’s played with the Blackhawks so far to match it, but more of that is to come. With that in mind, Chicago expects a massive increase in his point production. The Blackhawks have an influx of young talent getting ready to break into the NHL level, and they could serve as possible future linemates for him.

This contract serves more for the Blackhawks, though. They’re paying him now because Davidson and the front office believe in him. Moore is 21 years old and will only grow from here on out; he only has 60 games under his belt. The Blackhawks now have Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Bowen Byram, Alex Vlasic, and now Moore locked for the next five years plus (with more to follow). Slowly but surely, the Blackhawks are locking up their core and the players they want around for a long time.