The Chicago Blackhawks have more than enough cap space and draft capital to target some of the RFAs that haven't signed with their teams yet, but have a very good reason to stand pat.
It was mentioned on Sportsnet that although the Blackhawks have all of the cap space and couple target a young established NHL player with an offer sheet from a team that doesn't have enough cap space to match, if it gets to the cap realm that Chicago has to give up their first-round pick next year if they get the player, they lose out on the chance at Gavin McKenna and that would be a massive loss.
You never really know who is going to finish at the very bottom of the NHL and have the best odds at first overall, but the Blackhawks will likely still be in the mix. They are still a couple of years and a big signing or two off of competing for the playoffs as it stands unless they really come out next season and surprise.
While the Blackhawks have two first-round picks and three second-round picks next year, the other first-round pick they have besides their own is the Florida Panthers. If the last number of years are any indication, that pick is going to be late in the draft and it wouldn't be the pick used as compensation. It has to be their own draft pick.
If the Blackhawks finish anywhere in the bottom-10 of the league, they have a shot at staying or moving up to pick number one and drafting what appears to be a generational talent in McKenna. He is also Connor Bedard's cousin, so that would be an excellent combo for many years into the future.
