Chicago Blackhawks News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Ryan Donato, Chicago Blackhawks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Expectations for Blackhawks’ Ryan Donato Go Beyond Goals and Assists

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Nick Haydon | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 10:05 AM ET

Throughout the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, Chicago Blackhawks fans wondered if general manager Kyle Davidson would trade Ryan Donato. His value would never be higher given his breakout season. With the deadline passing and Donato still in Chicago, attention shifted to will the team be able to sign him. (Few developments hurt worse for a sports fan than watching a player walk away for no return.)

In June, the speculation ended when Donato signed a four-year, $16 million contract—an agreement that benefited both sides. Donato received the term and money he wanted and deserved, and the Blackhawks locked up a talented forward who will contribute on and off the ice.

Now that the negotiations have concluded, we can shift our focus to what the Blackhawks can expect from Donato over the next four years.

Donato Earned This Contract

Before we predict what the next four years will look like, it’ll be helpful to examine Donato’s career year that earned him this contract. He potted 31 goals and 31 assists, both career-highs. He finished with five power-play goals, 14 power-play points, three game-winning goals, and 182 shots on goal. Each of those were the best of his eight-year career. He also secured a 17% shooting percentage, his best rate in a season with at least 50 shots.

Clearly, Donato earned his payday. What’s more, the Blackhawks didn’t overpay him. Sometimes, after a player busts out with his best season to date, teams will be forced to overpay based on interest from other teams and market demand. But here, Donato earned a significant raise ($2 million more than his previous two-year contract), and the Blackhawks locked in an important piece for this rebuild at a reasonable cap hit.

In a rare sign of unity, Blackhawks fans lauded the deal on social media, with countless replies and comments supporting both Donato and Davidson. That’s not hard data, but fan responses can be a barometer. Here, all parties were happy: player, team, and fans.

Why the Blackhawks Kept Him

With that context established, we can investigate why the Blackhawks re-signed Donato and what we can expect. First, both sides wanted this to happen. Donato said before the contract, “I voiced plenty of times how much I love being here and want to be a part of the future here.” Davidson similarly reiterated how important he is to the organization and the future.

Second, Donato can play. This wasn’t a feel-good story about signing a guy because he had one breakout season. Davidson knows Donato can help this team offensively and defensively. His 31 goals came on a team that scored the seventh-fewest goals in 2024-25. And they were eight more than Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi, who were second on the team with 23. And he was third on the team with 104 hits and fourth with 23 takeaways.

He can play a 200-foot game, and Davidson knows how valuable that will be.

Third, Donato will be a leader for this team. Davidson didn’t bring in a new cohort of 30-plus-year-old veterans like he did last summer. While familiar voices and leaders like captain Nick Foligno remain, a weightier leadership responsibility will shift to Donato. His committed work ethic is well-documented, and he will set an example and maintain the standard.

He Won’t Ease Up

This season, with security and confidence in place, we shouldn’t be surprised to see Donato replicate his success. He most likely won’t produce 30-plus goals and 30-plus assists, but 20-plus and 25-plus are attainable. In the clip above, he emphasized that he doesn’t want last season to be a fluke, saying, “I want to push forward and do more in the future and prove it’s not just one season.”

His on-ice performance earned him this new contract. But his attitude and work ethic also bring value to the Blackhawks, as described above. I’m sure we will see his numbers decline over the course of this contract. Davidson and company know that. Another measuring stick will be how Donato delivers on the intangibles: leadership, work ethic, mentorship, and more.

At the end of the day, the NHL is a business, and players make money when they produce. Teams also recognize the value players can bring off the ice. Donato has molded himself into a blend of those two assets: talent and leadership. In four years, he’ll be evaluated on how he delivered on both fronts during this crossroads of the rebuild.