Maple Leafs Should Target Ryan Donato This Offseason

The Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs this season in an unfortunate loss to the Florida Panthers and seven games, and will be looking to bounce back in a big way, starting this offseason. It seems likely they will be losing both Mitchell Marner and John Tavares this summer, and while there are a few options available to them to replace both forwards, Ryan Donato could be one of the strongest options. He may not provide the offensive production that either Marner or Tavares do, but he is a solid player and is much more affordable. 

There were some reports earlier in the season that Donato and the Chicago Blackhawks were inching closer to a new contract, but nothing has come to fruition just yet. With that in mind, considering he might be hitting the open market, the Maple Leafs should be all over him. He’s likely looking for a 3-4 your contract worth around $4.5 million annually. There’s no reason to think Donato is going to leave the Blackhawks, but if he does, he should be near the top of the target list this summer.

Where Would Donato Fit?

Donato, who is 29 years old, scored 31 goals and added 31 assists for 62 points through 80 games this season. Throughout his career, he has scored 108 goals and added 119 assists for 227 points through 483 games played. In just 19 playoff games split between the Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild, and Seattle Kraken, he has only two assists. He would likely step directly into a top-six role with the Maple Leafs on their second line as Matthew Knies takes the first-line spot.

Donato likely also takes the spot on their first power-play unit to replace Marner. He may not be as lethal offensively as Marner is, but Donato’s offensive production should still be able to help the Maple Leafs have a successful man advantage. His defensive game has never quite been at an elite level where it stands out or allows him to earn trust to play on the penalty kill, but it doesn’t make him a liability by any means.

There will definitely be several teams who target Donato this summer if he hits the open market, so the Maple Leafs may have to overpay a bit to bring him in. Realistically, the Maple Leafs may have to be willing to sign him to a five-year contract worth around $5.5 million annually which is a bit steep, but as the salary cap continues to rise over the next several seasons, this deal won’t look so bad down the line.

The one thing that may turn fans away from this idea is the fact he would be another long-term contract that may be risky and may not pay off as much as they hope. They already have Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson locked up long-term, they also have Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe extended through the 2029-2030 season, making another deal like that a risky one.

However, the Maple Leafs may not have much of a choice if they’re going to lose Marner and Tavares and want to stay competitive. They would still have a solid team if they don’t spend much this offseason and could sneak into the postseason, but their championship window would close and they wouldn’t be considered contenders by any means. Hopefully, they are willing to spend big this summer and can make the right moves to keep themselves in contention for at least the next several seasons.

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