With just a month to go before NHL contracts expire and a new crop of players enter unrestricted free agency, teams are debating on who to target on July 1 and which of their own players they are going to try and retain.
One of those teams is the Chicago Blackhawks, and the pending free agent they’re debating on is forward Ryan Donato. The 29-year-old finished the 2024-25 regular season with 31 goals and 31 assists for 62 points in 80 games for the Blackhawks, setting career highs in all offensive categories and leading the team in goals.
Donato signed a two-year, $4 million contract ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, and while he’ll likely command a larger raise than his current annual average value (AAV) of $2 million, it’s hard to determine exactly how much of a raise he’ll get July 1. Will teams see his 31-goal campaign as the start of a resurgence? Or do they see it as just a one-off?
Donato’s 2024-25 Season
Not only did Donato reach career highs in all offensive categories, but he also doubled his career high in points (30 in 2023-24) and nearly doubled his career high in goals (16 in 2021-22). His 336 shot attempts were an increase of 68 from his previous career high (268 in 2021-22), and while his shooting percentage was 17 percent, six points higher than his career average, it was indicative of a player who put himself in better positions offensively, often creating opportunities for himself and those around him.
Ryan Donato, Chicago Blackhawks (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
One thing that stood out about Donato in 2024-25 was how relentless he was when it came to loose pucks and battles in the corner. His ability to engage with an opponent who is carrying the puck is something teams value. Rarely did the Boston native find himself out of position, often making the smart play in his own end and seldom taking unnecessary risks.
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What makes Donato a coach’s dream is that he can play on every line: Need a third-liner who can out-hustle the other team’s bottom six? He’s your guy. Need someone to provide secondary scoring? He’s your guy. Heck, do you need someone to do spot duty on the wing of a first line and do the grunt work that opens up paths for your linemates? He’s your guy.
As my THW colleague Nick Haydon pointed out in his April 17 column, only five of Donato’s 31 goals were on the power play, tying him for ninth in the NHL with Jason Robertson and Brayden Point with 26 even-strength goals. Let’s just say those will be the highest goal-producing numbers of his career: How many teams need someone who can hit the 25-goal range and provide reliable depth up front? All of them?
What is Donato’s Worth?
Days after the March 8 NHL Trade Deadline, in which the Blackhawks did not move Donato, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported the team offered him a three-year contract extension worth just under $4 million. While the deal would have been the highest AAV of Donato’s career, with the NHL’s salary cap rising to $95 million from its current $88.5 million, it’s hard to picture a 30-goal scorer – who isn’t even 30 years old – to not command a sizable raise on July 1.
Having covered the league for a number of years, when it comes to free agency, two things always remain true:
I always doubt that teams will overpay for players
Not only do they overpay, but they grossly overpay
That’s no fault of the players. If you’re presented with multiple job offers, odds are you’ll take the contract that provides you with the best financial security. There’s no difference between working in an office and on the ice. So when the likes of Mitch Marner, Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett and Matt Duchene sign on July 1, and teams are left scrambling to sign the best remaining players, it will be players like Mikael Granlund or Pius Suter or, yes, Donato, who take full advantage.
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How much could that be? If I had to guess right now, Donato could earn somewhere between $4.5 and $5 million and get between three and four years. Some may think that’s way too much for a player who has scored more than 16 goals just once in his career, but considering he hit the 30-goal on a team like Chicago that was desperate for offense, teams will see a player who has found a new maturity in his game. Besides, $4 to $5 million for a second-line forward isn’t as jarring as it once was, and with the NHL’s salary cap expected to eclipse the $100-million mark in a few years, someone like Donato making north of $5 million isn’t a hard pill to swallow.
Will the Blackhawks Sign Him?
With a month to go before the floodgates open for general managers and free agents, it will be interesting to see whether Donato and the Blackhawks reach a deal before then, or if Donato tests the market on July 1. Some fans have suggested the Harvard University alumnus should capitalize on his 31-goal season and get the most money he possibly can, and who could blame him?
Ryan Donato, Chicago Blackhawks (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
While there may be a team desperate to fill their offense with any semblance of a productive player, the team that may need him the most may be the Blackhawks. It’s clear changes are coming ahead of 2025-26, kicked off with the hiring of new head coach Jeff Blashill, and whether through trade or free agency, new players will be in the lineup come early October. But in the two seasons Donato has played in Chicago, he’s developed as a professional into more than just a serviceable bottom-six forward who takes turns sitting in the press box as a healthy scratch — Donato has turned into a legitimate contributor and a valuable NHL forward.
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Instead of trying to overpay for someone in free agency, why not retain the assets you already have? Sure, they’ll be players you try to acquire this summer, but why let go of someone as versatile as Donato? If you’re the Blackhawks, and you’ve been trying to build something the last few seasons, then bring back one of the few bright spots in that time.
Fans will look at this team and see the likes of Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore and a slew of other young talents who will develop into NHL players. They’ll think the future will be filled with highlight-reel goals and winning streaks. But to get to that point, you need help along the way. Donato’s not quite a “wise old veteran,” but he’s the type of player who can adapt to any situation and whose long-term contract would age a lot better than a good chunk of the ones we’ll see get signed next month.
Blackhawks fans: Do you want to see Chicago re-sign Donato? How much would you be willing to pay the winger? Comment below with your thoughts.
