Now that we are in the middle of July, things have slowed down significantly in the NHL. This happens every summer, as most of this year's free agents have been signed. While this is the case, trades can start to pick up as teams look to finalize their rosters at this point of the off-season. 

When observing potential teams who could make at least one more trade before the season starts, the Chicago Blackhawks certainly stand out. The Central Division club currently has over $22 million of cap space, so they are in a prime position to do some business.

When looking at the Blackhawks' roster, it is certainly fair to say that they could use another impactful forward. Bringing in a scoring winger to help Connor Bedard take that next step would be significant for the Original Six club. However, they could also consider simply improving their depth with some of the money they have available. 

With the Blackhawks still building their team up, they are also in a position where they could acquire a player with a bad contract if it means landing a good draft pick or prospect in return for doing so. The Pittsburgh Penguins recently did this when they acquired a 2028 second-round pick from the Dallas Stars for taking on Matt Dumba's $3.75 million cap hit. Perhaps the Blackhawks could be the next team to do something like this. 

Overall, with the Blackhawks having a lot of money available, they certainly should be watched this summer. It will be intriguing to see if they end up using their cap space to their advantage before the season begins from here. 

Blackhawks Trading Young Forward Would Come With Big RiskChicago Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel has been the subject of trade rumors this off-season. It is not necessarily surprising, as the young forward has had trouble finding his fit with the Original Six club thus far. 

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