While Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato has been pretty consistent over the years with his production, he hasn’t had much stability, lasting no longer than two seasons with each of his five NHL teams. It appears that trend may soon be continuing as Chris Johnston relays in his latest Trade Board for The Athletic (subscription link) that the 28-year-old is starting to attract some attention from other teams on the trade front.
Donato has put up at least 20 points in seven straight seasons now, including this one. While his career high in that department is 31 set back in 2021-22, he is well on his way to beating that. In 46 games so far with Chicago, he has 14 goals and 14 assists despite playing less than 15 minutes a night. On top of that, he has played down the middle more often than usual this season; that versatility will only help his trade value.
So too will a reasonable contract. Donato is in the final season of a two-year, $4MM deal signed back in 2023. That’s pretty good value for a player who currently sits third on the Blackhawks in points. The fact that Donato is having that success in more of a middle-six role should also be appealing as he’s likely to be in the bottom six on most contending teams where his 22 even-strength points will fit in well.
Considering Donato’s performance this season and the fact that Chicago is still trying to find the right mix of veterans to keep in the fold, there’s certainly a case to be made that the Blackhawks might be better off trying to re-sign him. Given how much he has bounced around, it’s possible he’d be interested in some stability in which case it might not cost considerably more to re-sign him.
But on the other hand, as someone who isn’t expected to be part of their long-term plans when their rebuild is completed, GM Kyle Davidson might simply elect to move him for the best possible offer, ensuring at least a return of some value for a low-risk addition just a year and a half ago. The Blackhawks have just one retention slot remaining following yesterday’s three-team swap so they could use it on Donato to make him affordable to even the most cap-strapped of teams which should only help his return. Either way, it looks like he’s a strong candidate to be moved by the March 7th deadline.