Ryan Donato needs to leave the Blackhawks without giving it a second thought

Ryan Donato might be the biggest wild card for the Chicago Blackhawks, given his productivity but also as a middle-aged player on an expiring contract. For Donato, returning to the Blackhawks would mean most likely missing the playoffs again next year as the team doesn’t figure to contend until 2026-27 unless they enjoy a miraculous turnaround. 

This leads me to say, if I were Ryan Donato, I’m not waiting until my age-30 season to play on a contending team. Not after the season he’s had, which has so far seen him score a team-leading 25 goals and snag 55 points in 70 games. 

While Donato isn’t leading the Blackhawks in points, he’s played in two fewer contests than Connor Bedard and Teuvo Teravainen, who lead the team with 56. This gives Donato the lead in points per game, and it’s worth pointing out he’s received less average ice time than Bedard and Teravainen. 

Ryan Donato must spend what’s left of his prime with an immediate contender

Because it’s his age-28 season, I would estimate Donato to enjoy another four seasons playing his best hockey, which in the grand scheme of things isn’t a long time. Why waste another year playing for a franchise that needs at least another season of building when you’re probably going to be in high demand for an organization much closer to contention?

After enjoying such an unprecedented season in the worst situation out there, it begs the question of how good Donato could be if he had more talent around him? No, he’s not a surefire top-six player if he went to a place like Dallas, for example. But a team like the Stars would pay him well to sidle in on the third line and give opponents a depth scorer to worry about. 

Yeah, Donato could spend 2025-26 in the top six here in Chicago, but would another few minutes of ice time per game be worth sacrificing a chance to join a Stanley Cup contender? It would be a different story if Donato lacked consistency, but given his role in the NHL, that’s not the case. So go elsewhere and make a return to the playoffs. 

What kind of team would be a great fit for Ryan Donato?

I won’t name-drop, but let me instead point to a type of team. Someone who is either contending right now in March 2025 or a team that will contend next season but still has work to do on its bottom six should be calling. I wouldn’t expect a deep team to make the call, but one that’s currently top-heavy. 

Another possibility would be an organization looking for a missing puzzle piece. Someone who can insert Donato onto their bottom six - third line preferably - and bring another scoring option into their lineup. 

If I were Donato, I wouldn’t join any uncertain situations, such as with a team like the Detroit Red Wings. While Detroit has looked like a contender at times, they’ve also faltered and shown vast inconsistency, something that’s again plaguing them. No, if I’m Donato, it’s either a contender or a bubble team with a strong outlook, and nothing less.