Ryan Donato wanted to remain with the Chicago Blackhawks, and the team was just as eager to keep the energetic forward. After some time, both sides reached an agreement.
On Wednesday, the Blackhawks announced that Donato had signed a new four-year contract worth $16 million. The 29-year-old forward, who was approaching unrestricted free agency, opted to stay with the fifth NHL team of his career.
“Ryan brings high energy and competes hard every night, which has been a tremendous asset to us over the last two years,” said Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson. “He’s been an important contributor to our offense, and we’re thrilled to have him remain a key part of our lineup for the next four years.”
Donato is coming off the best season of his career, recording personal bests with 31 goals and 31 assists in 80 games. His previous highs were 16 goals with Seattle in 2021-22 and 18 assists in his first season with Chicago.
Although there were contract talks before the trade deadline, the two sides couldn’t finalize a deal at the time. Still, the Blackhawks decided to keep Donato past the deadline.
“We did have a brief conversation around that period, but it didn’t get finalized,” Davidson said in April. “Once the deadline passes, there’s usually a bit of a pause, and things tend to resume after the season ends. Now that it’s over, discussions picked up.”
Locking up Donato helps address a key part of Chicago’s rebuild as they aim to return to playoff contention. The Blackhawks ended this past season with a 25-46-11 record, placing them last in the Central Division and 31st in the NHL.
A native of Boston and a Harvard alum, Donato has totaled 108 goals and 119 assists over 483 NHL games, having also played for the Bruins, Wild, and Sharks. He originally joined Chicago in 2023 on a two-year, $4 million contract.
“There’s a really bright future here,” Donato said in April. “A lot of guys are going to take big steps this summer that will help us win more games. I think fans — and people in general — will be surprised at how quickly things can turn around.”
