2026 Blackhawks Top 25 Under 25: Oliver Moore is bumped up to No. 9

The 2026 version of Second City Hockey’s Top 25 Under 25 rankings continues with our Top 10, which will contain a lengthier breakdown of each individual who made it into that group.

Oliver Moore

Position: Center/Wing

Age: 21 (Jan. 22, 2005)

Acquired via: First-round pick (19th overall) in 2023 NHL Draft

2025-26 team: Rockford IceHogs (AHL) | Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

2025-26 AHL Stats: 9 points (6 G, 3 A) in 9 AHL games

2025-26 NHL stats: 19 points (5 G, 14 A) in 51 NHL games

Size: 5-foot-11, 188 pounds

Contract: Two-years, $941,667 AAV (entry-level contract)

Rankings: 8 (Dave, SCH), 9 (LBR, Eric)

Last T25U25 ranking: No. 10, up one spot

Moore has been one of the most interesting prospects in the Blackhawks organization since they drafted him at No. 19 in 2023. He mixes elite speed and skating with a high motor and strong defensive instincts, but has struggled with his finishing ability and has yet to make a consistent impact offensively at the NHL level.

Moore started last season off strong in Rockford, where he seemed to have instant chemistry with linemate Nick Lardis. After scoring at a point-per-game pace through his first nine games (6 G, 3 A -- and his six goals led all AHL rookies at the time), he was the Blackhawks\' first call-up of the season on Nov. 3 when Jason Dickinson was placed on injured reserve. Moore said that when GM Kyle Davidson informed him he was starting his year off in Rockford, Davidson implored Moore to \"make us make a spot for you.\" While the injury to Dickinson certainly played a part, it\'s hard to argue that Moore\'s stellar early season results didn\'t make the call-up feel warranted.

AHL

Oliver Moore with his first two professional goals for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL this weekend. pic.twitter.com/B6EKzpqWbE

— YHH (@YouthHockeyHub) October 13, 2025

Oliver Moore with the OT winner in Rockford: pic.twitter.com/SpcV2fq8bq

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) October 18, 2025

Moore made his season debut with the Blackhawks that night against the Seattle Kraken, and collected his first NHL point of the year (an assist) in the very next game:

Oliver Moore picks up his first point of the season on Ilya Mikheyev's 4th of the year https://t.co/Is69AiTcYG pic.twitter.com/57pBnu3p6U

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) November 6, 2025

And Moore secured his first NHL goal just a few games later, on Nov. 9 against the Red Wings:

GOAL: Oliver Moore picks up his FIRST NHL GOAL as the Blackhawks add another pic.twitter.com/6sZ0kyJVXV

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) November 9, 2025

Moore\'s early season scoring touch and increased confidence seemed to falter from there though, as he began to scuffle offensively and watched both his points (2 G, 4 A in his next 20 games), and his role (11:17 TOI average during the same 20-game stretch) diminish. In addition to being a young player dealing with the learning curve of the NHL in totality, he also was in the midst of trying to establish himself as a full-time player while struggling to understand exactly what his role was on this Blackhawks team -- which was obviously significantly different than how he was utilized at Rockford. Moore struggled with that concept at times, and spoke about it at length:

The Blackhawks need more from Oliver Moore, who has just 1 point in 10 games — despite a speedy showing last night.

But also they need to give him more.

“My role on the team — call it as it is — is not as [offensive] as it was in Rockford.”

New story: https://t.co/ScaZ5ZuSmI

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) December 28, 2025

Injuries once again gave Moore an opportunity, as Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar both went down for the Blackhawks in December, which elevated Moore to, essentially, the No. 2 center role. While his TOI increased significantly in his next 20 games (to an average of over 14 minutes), his scoring rate was essentially the same (2 G, 5 A), although he did record the first multi-point game(s) of his young career during the same span:

GOAL: Oliver Moore finds Nick Lardis for a one-timer that finds the back of the net. What a play pic.twitter.com/7VeuDCgepV

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) December 31, 2025

GOAL: Oliver Moore with a rip on the power play for his second power-play point of the game pic.twitter.com/0xwMhuXXJL

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) January 8, 2026

As Bedard and Nazar returned to the lineup, Moore saw his role reduced again, and he responded with just three assists in his next nine games before an awkward crash into the end boards injured his knee and ended his season during a Mar. 8 game against the Stars:

Oliver Moore will not return after suffering an injury on this play: pic.twitter.com/Ax2RSWp6Cd

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) March 8, 2026

The good news is that, while Moore wasn\'t able to return in time to suit up in any of the remaining games with the Blackhawks, he was healthy enough to play for Team USA at the 2026 IIHF World Championship in May, where he earned some high praise from one of the loudest player voices in the NHL:

Matthew Tkachuk had some pretty high praise for #blackhawks forward Oliver Moore at Men’s Worlds on his latest @Wingmenpod pic.twitter.com/UZF0SB7qkH

— John Wiedman (@chiwiedman) June 2, 2026

While Moore\'s 51 games with Chicago proved he\'s ready to be a full-time NHLer, what exactly his role will be on next season\'s team is very much still in question. His ridiculous speed grants him the ability to create a consistent game-to-game impact, even if only on the defensive side of the ice, but there were far too many stretches last year when he disappeared. His floor continues to be a bottom-six, defensively responsible forward who should be a key forechecker and help out on special teams, but he\'s going to have to earn anything more than that at this point.

The Blackhawks will have a glut of young forwards vying for a shot at playing center -- especially while Bedard is sidelined for the initial 4-6 weeks of the season -- and Moore is certainly one of them. There\'s another significant hole on this current Hawks roster where Moore figures to have a legitimate shot at being a difference maker: on the penalty kill. Chicago\'s best PK forward last season was Ilya Mikheyev, who average 2:38 of shorthanded ice time per game last season with Chicago but has since signed with Tampa Bay. The Hawks second best penalty-killing forward, Jason Dickinson, is also gone -- so someone is going to need to help absorb those minutes. Newcomers Cole Smith and Jordan Greenway will probably get a little runway out there, but Moore\'s speed -- much like Mikheyev\'s (and even Nazar\'s) -- is a true weapon on the PK, and should give him the inside track over just about any other forward currently on the roster.

2026 Blackhawks Top 25 Under 25 list (so far): No. 10: Kevin Korchinski Nos. 11-15: Greene, Nestrasil, Villeneuve, Commesso, Vanacker Nos. 16-20: Boisvert, Behm, Roobroeck, West, Mustard Nos. 21-25: Del Mastro, Gajan, Spellacy, Slaggert, Alalauri Honorable Mention: Samuel Savoie

Oliver Moore

Talking Points