This Blackhawks path could quietly lead straight to Gavin McKenna

The Chicago Blackhawks have been widely critiqued for their lack of impactful moves this offseason, and rightfully so. They are about to enter their third season with generational talent Connor Bedard – a season in which he will be eligible for a contract extension – and have done little, if anything, to build a competitive roster around him.

Beyond re-signing Ryan Donato – which was, admittedly, a good move – the Blackhawks have only added depth forwards Andre Burakovsky and Sam Lafferty to their bottom six this offseason. For a team who finished near the bottom of the league in practically every offensive category last season, the Blackhawks have shown a near-shameful lack of urgency in improving their roster, forging ahead with their rebuild and giving Bedard a reason to sign a long-term extension.

Unless...

This Blackhawks path could quietly lead straight to Gavin McKenna

Perhaps this was the Blackhawks' plan all along. Show zero urgency to improve in the offseason, brace for another year of dreadful hockey, finish in last place in the hopes of landing the first overall pick in next year's NHL Draft and take the consensus top prospect in the class in forward Gavin McKenna.

McKenna took the WHL by storm last season, scoring 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers. The 17-year-old earned nearly every WHL honor in 2024-25, leading Medicine Hat to a WHL Championship and a berth in the Memorial Cup Finals. He recently announced his commitment to Penn State for this upcoming season, giving him a chance to prove that he's the real deal against NCAA competition.

McKenna has also had plenty of success internationally, helping Team Canada to the gold medal at the 2024 U18 World Championships. In doing so, he set a Canadian record for points in a single U18 tournament with 10 goals and 10 assists in seven games. McKenna was also the youngest member of Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he scored one goal in five games.

Of course, even a last-place finish wouldn't guarantee the Blackhawks the No. 1 overall pick due to the draft lottery, but it would certainly improve their odds. And McKenna is exactly the type of generational talent they could be looking to pair with Bedard and kickstart a new dynasty.

In Bedard, the Blackhawks already have their Jonathan Toews. Now, they just need their Patrick Kane. McKenna could be just that.