The Chicago Blackhawks have an opportunity this season to make significant progress in the organization’s rebuild. New players were brought in during the summer to bolster support around Connor Bedard. Nick Foligno earned the captaincy and has been trusted to lead through the process. However, despite the change, returning players have the chance to prove their worth and solidify their place on a team we all hope is trending upwards.
Ryan Donato is one of those players. He has not been shy about his desire to stay with the Blackhawks after his two-year contract expires at the end of this season. He knows that will take hard work and consistency as many players vie for the same spot.
Is there a path for Donato to become a long-term solution for the Blackhawks?
Seeking Stability in a Time of Change
“Spring of 2018, signed with the Bruins. Played the remainder of their season into playoffs. Then went to Minnesota for about a year and a half, two years. San Jose for a year. And then went to Seattle for two years. Chicago last year, and Chicago again.”
Ryan Donato’s wife Bradley smiled as she finished listing the five different cities they have lived in over the past six years. After welcoming their first child in September, both are craving stability as they enter a new stage of life. His daughter might be the additional motivation he needs to earn a longer-term contract—not that hard work has ever been an issue.
“It’s always been about work, hockey, faith, family, that type of stuff,” Donato said heading into training camp before the start of the 2024-25 season. “At a certain point in your career, you want to settle down. Hopefully, I can work hard enough and make my teammates better, make the team better, so I can be put in a position where I can be there long-term.”
General manager Kyle Davidson made it clear what Donato needs to do. “Ideally, with the additions we’ve made, he’ll settle into a middle six or bottom six role and just continue to push the pace, push the envelope in terms of the execution and the level that we want to achieve and the standards that we are trying to maintain here.”
Related: Blackhawks Look Much Better Through 4 Games
Donato has talent, that is why he was selected by the Boston Bruins 56th overall in 2016. But given that the Blackhawks have a fairly/somewhat solidified top-six forward group, the team needs him to provide stability and depth as a reliable forward whose offensive production is a bonus. If Donato wants to stay in Chicago then he needs to prove he can deliver in this role.
The Season So Far
Fans and pundits love to overanalyze when it is much too early in the season, so I will (attempt to) avoid that here. Nevertheless, the Blackhawks’ five games thus far slightly open the window for us to peer through for insights.
Donato played the Blackhawks’ first three games and looked solid. He notched one goal, and his ice time ranged from nearly 14 minutes to about 11 minutes. He posted nine hits and a minus-1 rating. Nothing extraordinary stands out here, and he certainly has not looked bad.
We have to remember though that we are measuring him against the standard Davidson set before the season. The Blackhawks went 1-2 with Donato in the lineup before he was scratched for the last two games. Clearly, he was not providing something of what the management group wanted.
WHOAAAAA RYAN DONATOOOOO🚨 pic.twitter.com/PlEDTcRCUz
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 12, 2024
Now, not all blame lies on Donato for the scratches. Head coach Luke Richardson is ironing out the bottom six forwards and giving cusp players opportunities to prove themselves. Andreas Athanasiou, Lukas Reichel, and Craig Smith each have rotated in and out of the lineup.
That is precisely what Donato needs to do: prove himself. His minus-1 rating also might be an indicator that Richardson and Davidson are looking for more defensive reliability. After three games, the Blackhawks are allowing about 80 shots against per 60 minutes of play with Donato on the ice—the highest number of all forwards (per Money Puck). Numbers like this alongside his one shot on goal show that Donato is struggling to create offense while giving up chances.
These statistics make it sound like Donato is a significant detriment to the team. That is not the case I am making. As I said, it is much too early to make claims like that. However, it is safe to say that if Donato played well enough, he would force the coaching staff to keep him in the lineup. Thus, since he has been scratched twice, someone is seeing something that they want Donato to improve.
Way-Too-Early Bottom Line
Donato wants to secure his family’s future with a long-term deal. Given his pedigree and talent, he can achieve that in Chicago. His talent and work ethic are never in question.
However, it remains to be seen if he can mold himself into the reliable, two-way forward the Blackhawks need. With three games under his belt this season, he has shown flashes that he can deliver while leaving enough concerns to bounce him in and out of the lineup.
Ted Donato, Ryan’s father, said, “Sometimes it’s easy to lose perspective of things that you can control to give yourself the best opportunity to have success.” Ryan Donato knows he can put himself in a position to succeed this season. There is a lot of hockey remaining to see if he seizes the opportunity.
