Since the turn of the calendar, especially leading up to the trade deadline, one player receiving plenty of interest is Chicago Blackhawks winger Ryan Donato. Despite the perceived market building around Donato, the Blackhawks reportedly haven’t ruled out negotiating an extension for their third-highest scorer.
The trade interest isn’t just because of hasty buyers either. Donato is having a career year, scoring 19 goals and 18 assists in 53 games which has already topped his previous high of 31 points in 74 games during the 2021-22 season.
Typically a pending unrestricted free agent averaging 0.70 points per game on an affordable $2MM salary would command a first-round pick or a pair of seconds. However, there is some reason for pause when considering Donato as a potential trade deadline pick.
Since January 1st, Connor Bedard, Taylor Hall, or Teuvo Teräväinen have assisted on six of Donato’s eight goals. Additionally — those three players have contributed to just over half of his total points this season. Now it’ll become a question about who exactly is contributing more to who’s success.
Given that Donato is having an offensive breakout in his eighth season, and his average ice time has jumped from a career average of 12:46 to 15:03 this season, he’s most likely benefiting from Chicago’s poor supporting cast. The Blackhawks have given Donato more responsibility than he’s ever had at the NHL level, allowing him to play with the game’s young star in Bedard and one of the best passers in Teräväinen.
If interested parties begin to believe this, it could limit what they’re willing to spend on Donato. It’s likely the probable reason why Chicago is entertaining an extension rather than giving Donato away for less than their asking price.
The comparable deal for Donato in recent history is the trade that sent Tyler Toffoli from the New Jersey Devils to the Winnipeg Jets last trade deadline for a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick with the Devils retaining the remaining 50% of his contract.
Toffoli had 26 goals and 44 points in 61 games for the Devils before the trade — similar to Donato’s production this season. Should the Blackhawks want more than a second and third-round pick for their highest-goal scorer, they might be better served in signing him to a two- to three-year extension.
How would he look on a line with A MacKinnon or McDavid I would say he would be more of a star then just average.
Nearly 29 year’s old, Contract year, Career year, Very suspicious, Bottom line. He’s a solid 4th Center, Or Left Wing. 3 year’s at 1.5 annually.
Donato to Tampa Bay for 7 draft picks!
I think Davidson needs to start listening at the clock ticking that is Bedard’s contract. Making him suffer through another crappy year with a hope that all of these picks pan out just means he will run screaming out the door whne his contact is up. However, he’ll probably be traded before then for more picks for ‘down the road’ when the Blackhawks will be ‘competitive’ again.
Look this is really a no brainer. Trade him, take the best offer, And if you want him back AND he really wants to be back sign him again in FA. What’s to think about here?
I could see Allvin renting him on the hype of this season – at the valuation similar to Toffoli. Really depends on them stepping up & converting Boeser into a small haul (nothing wrong with keeping & using a first, Patrick!)
To Kings – Donato (50% salary retained) To Chicago – Conditional 3rd( Becomes 2nd if Kings reach Conference Final), Akil Thomas, Minor prospect.
Uhhh Donato has a 2 million Dollar salary. Of which less than 1 million will still be owed. The Hawks have 3 of 4 salary retention slots used. They’re gonna waste the 4th on less than 500 grand? Have you been drug tested lately? Just have the Kings man up and make the deal. If they can’t afford what would amount to less than an entry level contract I guess they’d keep him. Wow.
they’ve used 2 of 3. But you’re right; they won’t use another on Donato. Right now, only about $670K owed on his salary, which means the receiving team can send a league-minimum player to the AHL and get halfway there.
Thanks. I knew they only had 1 left and will surely need it in the event of a Connor Murphy or Seth Jones deal. Not going to waste it on a piddly amount like that. LOL
I think if other teams want to know who’s responsible for him getting those points, they can watch the highlights. And it’s not unusual to see him doing the dirty work in the corners or driving the net to create chances. Plus, we’ve seen him run some nice give-and-go’s with Bedard and others, and so–aside from the question of whether he’s just benefiting from playing with these guys–it’s a plus that he’s a guy who can play up and down the lineup. No one’s just going to plug him in on their top line, but if you find situation where he has to line up with Mackinnon or Pettersson for a period, you know he can do it.
I just do not see where the ‘turnaround’ is going to come with his Hawks org, at least until the last remnant of the previous regime is finally gone in Davidson.
That is when I think fans can start hoping again, but by then Bedard will likely flee from this team when his rookie deal is done.
As usual the trolls come out. The Hawks set out on a long term rebuild 2 years ago. And after 2 years people are calling for heads. This was gonna take at least 5 years. And after 2 guy’s doing a horrible job even though the Organization is loaded with talent. So I suppose you want to trade everybody and sign a bunch of FA’s? That would be really stupid. That reeks of Cubs strategy, What this needs is patience. Davidson has done a great job of drafting, Fine job of adding talent that won’t financially kill them down the road or block any prospects for long. In other words the Anti Jed Hoyer. I say keep up the fine work and the Hawks might even have the #1 pick in the draft again. The only area Davidson might have failed is in Coach hiring. He needs to step that up IMO. He needs to nail this next Head Coach hire. Sorenson ain’t the answer here.
They have something like 7-9 of the top 100 or so prospects, and looking at another top 3 pick this year. Aside from Bedard, the only other Davidson draft picks to reach the NHL are Nazar (about 20 games) and Korchinski (who had to play in NHL last year, is now in the AHL and doing great). If you can’t see where the “turnaround” is coming, I suggest you look beyond one season. Teams like Tampa Bay, Colorado, New Jersey, LA, and now Detroit and Ottawa, have experienced success after going through a similar process.