Blackhawks Sweeten Deal to Keep Ryan Donato Ahead of Free Agency

The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Wednesday that they have locked up forward Ryan Donato with a four-year, $16 million contract extension. The deal, carrying a $4 million annual cap hit, is believed to be an increase over their last offer and enough to keep Donato from testing free agency on July 1.

The extension follows Donato’s breakout 2024-25 campaign, where he posted career highs in goals (31), assists (31), and points (62) across 80 games.

FOUR MORE YEARS OF RYAN DONATO‼️

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— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 18, 2025

According to a post by Chicago Sun-Times reporter Ben Pope, the Blackhawks initially offered Donato a three-year deal at the same AAV. However, Donato held out for additional term, and after months of negotiation, GM Kyle Davidson conceded the fourth year. That was enough for Chicago to retain a valuable middle-six winger who was likely to receive several offers in free agency.

The 2024-25 season was by far Donato’s best in the NHL. He jumped up from 30 to 62 points, and his consistent offensive production and physical edge became a talking point of the Blackhawks’ otherwise ugly season. Donato registered 104 hits last season, and with 31 goals, he was heavily talked about at the trade deadline. The Blackhawks elected not to move him, hoping they could get an extension done. They were able to, and the hope now is that this past season is more the norm than an anomaly.

Likely, he doesn’t produce at the same level, given his 17% shooting percentage.

Did the Blackhawks Overpay or Get a Good Deal on Donato?

Time will tell if the Blackhawks got a steal on Donato’s extension, or just locked up a winger who had one good season that won’t be reproduced. When he’s on, he checks a lot of boxes. And, at $4 million, even if it’s an overpayment, it’s not a dramatic one.

For the Blackhawks, the deal represents more than just securing a 30-goal scorer. It’s a signal that the team is serious about building around core contributors rather than losing them to free agency. That may matter to a player like Connor Bedard. For Donato, the fourth year is the commitment he was looking for.

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