The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t make big moves when free agency opened on July 1. Since they added players like Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno, and Corey Perry during the 2023 NHL Draft week, and with few departures, the room on the current roster seemed slim, making the lack of moves justifiable. As general manager Kyle Davidson said, “the heavy lifting” on the roster was done, but in the business of hockey, if a good player is still available, you take the opportunity, and that is what happened when they decided to sign free agent forward Ryan Donato to a two-year, $4 million contract.
Blackhawks’ New “Exciting” Forward
The Boston Bruins originally drafted Donato in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft. At the time, he was considered one of the most exciting prospects. At Dexter Southfield School, a USHS Prep school, he scored 78 points in 30 games (37 goals, 41 assists) in 2013-14. He went on to play for the South Shore Kings of the United States Premier Hockey League, where he registered 10 points in 13 games, and made his way to the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) with 10 points in eight games, before heading to Harvard University in 2015. He spent three years at Harvard, registering 60 goals, 44 points, and 104 points in 97 games. He also played for Team USA at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics and led the team with six points in five games.
Donato made his NHL debut with the Bruins in March 2018, scoring his first NHL goal in his first game, impressing his teammates and head coach Bruce Cassidy with his compete level. He spent two years in Boston with 18 points in 46 games before getting traded to the Minnesota Wild in February 2019 and then moved again to the San Jose Sharks in October 2020. He netted 24 goals, 35 assists, and 59 points in 134 games between the two teams. Ultimately, he got selected by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft and has played some of his best hockey with the Kraken. He tallied a career-high 31 points in 74 games in 2021-22, and last season, he stayed consistent with 27 points in 71 games with two points in 14 games in the playoffs.
Donato’s Fit With Blackhawks
Davidson mentioned Donato’s versatility, ability to play all forward positions, and being able to bounce around and fill different roles whenever needed in the lineup was why signing him was essential. From the Blackhawks’ perspective, the roster is mainly comprised of “fillers,” meaning players that won’t be on the team long-term, like Perry and Foligno. Therefore, versatility has been a quality that is important to them. Because there are still questions of who will make the team out of training camp, possible trade deadline casualties, and more as they try to make the team competitive again, Donato makes sense to help guide the team and play wherever necessary. That kind of skillset is what made him beloved in Seattle. Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol stated that Donato is one player he could trust and count on no matter where he asked him to play in the lineup.
Another thing to note with Donato’s game that Blackhawks fans will love to hear is that he describes himself as someone who “tends to stir the pot a little bit” during games, which brings a fun Chicago-style element to the lineup. He is most noted for speed, skill, and heart, which you can never have enough of in an NHL lineup. Although he can play a top-six or bottom-six role, I believe he will play more of a bottom-six role in Chicago, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him move up the lineup if the team needs an extra spark.
When speaking to our Kraken writer, Adam Kierszenblat, about Donato’s time in Seattle, he stated, “Ryan is a great bottom-six forward with offensive upside. He can contribute on the power play and is a versatile forward that can play either on the wing or down the middle. Overall, he is a hard-working forward that should help set a good example for the young players in Chicago’s system.”
Players that help aid in the development of prospects is something that Davidson alluded to this offseason, making Donato’s fit with the team even more important on and off the ice.
A Good Guy On and Off the Ice
If you wanted to know more about the 27-year-old Massachusetts native Donato, he has been noted for being a great person. Ironically, one of the most special moments in his career came against the Blackhawks. In January 2022, when the Blackhawks faced the Kraken, Donato wore a tie to the game given to him by Emily Cave, the wife of late Edmonton Oilers forward Colby Cave. Cave and Donato became friends when they both played for the Bruins. The tie he was given was Colby’s game-day tie. During the game, he got the game-tying goal, a shootout goal to help the Kraken win 3-2, and was named First Star of the game. Afterward, he said, “Yeah. I was wearing Colb’s tie. He was a close friend of mine. And Emily was here tonight. I think he was here with me today too as well.”
To elaborate more on him as a person, last season, a story came out about top Kraken prospect Shane Wright. He mentioned last season that he wanted to stay with a veteran, as he lived in a hotel, and as a young player starting his career, he preferred to live with someone. He stated he sent out hints to his teammates that he would like to stay with them, and Donato stepped up and offered his spare bedroom to him. He said the offer was a no-brainer. Wright mentioned he enjoyed living in a “real house with hearty home-cooked meals.” He also lived alongside Donato’s fiance Bradley and their dog Moose (from ‘Kraken’s Shane Wright given home away from home by teammate Ryan Donato’, The Seattle Times, 11/7/22).
Little stuff like that goes a long way with prospects and is surely something the Blackhawks looked at when thinking of free-agent signings.
Donato might not be a 50-point player, but he provides a steady, depth role and can consistently put up 20-point seasons, which is always welcomed. I think he may become a quick fan favorite due to his friendly nature and competitive style of play. He will be a player to watch this season as he attempts to help Chicago get back on track from a third-worst NHL record last season.
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