Blackhawks 2025-26 Player Previews: Ryan Donato

Despite developing a solid reputation for his play, Donato did bounce around the NHL. He went from the Bruins, to the Minnesota Wild, to the San Jose Sharks, to the Seattle Kraken, and finally to the Blackhawks as a free agent in 2023. General manager Kyle Davidson said at the time, “Ryan adds depth and versatility to our team and will complement our forward group well. He will be a great addition to our system.”

I don’t know if Davidson even realized then how right he would ultimately be with that signing.

Donato’s Role in 2025-26

There aren’t enough words to encompass the season Donato had in 2024-25. It was spectacular, shattering his previous numbers. When he joined the team in 2023-24, he did well, with 30 points in 78 games, which was an expected point total. Even though he got stints in the top six, he was mainly in the bottom six.

But 2024-25 was different. He started the season in a fourth-line role or as a healthy scratch. But Donato eventually worked his way up to being one of the best players on the team. He was second-best in points (62), first in goals (31), second-best in game-winning goals (3), second-best in shooting percentage (17%), and also had a 44.6% faceoff percentage (fifth-best among players with over 50 games). He was presumed to have more of a bottom-six role, but then became a mainstay on the top-six, spending a lot of time with Connor Bedard.

Did we mention he also recorded his first career hat trick?

Donato’s career season was rewarded with a four-year, $16 million contract extension in June.

This upcoming season, he is expected to have a top-six role again. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right? He will also be a good resource on the power play and in the faceoff dot. There are questions about whether he will be able to put up similar numbers as before, but Donato seems confident that with the same opportunity, the sky’s the limit. As he said in June, “I’ve always had a confidence about what I can do. And for me, you know, it’s an opportunity league, and I was very thankful for the opportunities that I’ve gotten here and playing in Chicago. I think with that opportunity, I can do a lot.”

Donato also remarked, “I think this season was a huge stepping stone year for me, but I also want to build off that.”

The Blackhawks and Donato are thrilled to stay together for the next four years, as he brings the work ethic, production, and leadership. That is significant even if he doesn’t replicate 62 points.

As Davidson declared, he is a great addition to their organization.