Updated: Mar 22
After the big Seth Jones trade last night which sent Spencer Knight and a first round pick to Chicago, and Jones to Florida, it's likely some other Blackhawks will find themselves on the chopping block come the trade deadline, and could be in for another year of mass trades after yet another underwhelming year. One person in particular who has raised a lot of attention and desires is Ryan Donato, but the Blackhawks shouldn't be too hasty on him.
In a season full of ups and downs, the Blackhawks have had to rely on a small number of players to get them on the board and over the finish line in close games, one player in particular being Ryan Donato. Donato netted his 21st goal of the season last night in the game against the Ducks and as his games stays consistent heading towards the offseason, a number of teams have outlined their desires and interest in the 28 year old goal scorer.
Donato currently leads the Blackhawks in goals and has been one of the bright sparks in a team full of dead rubber, but the Blackhawks shouldn't use his good form as trade bait, and here's why. It's all well and good having a plethora of great prospects and draft capital, but it's also handy to have some ‘Now’ players, and veteran presences who can settle into the team, and be mentors for the young prospects around the team. Donato is the perfect example of this, and has very good reason to have earned himself a contract extension.
After dumping Taylor Hall to Carolina and Seth Jones to Florida, Donato is one of the only players on the team with that veteran presence, but with just enough fuel in the tank to be a great player for this Blackhawks team. Trading a player like Donato who has done so much for them this season would not be a smart idea, and would just be an example of Kyle Davidson being trade happy. The return for Donato could be okay, potentially securing a 2nd or 3rd round pick, or maybe a mid level prospect, but in this scenario, it doesn't make sense. Donato is one of the players on the Blackhawks team who has shown his worth this season, and a trade to a playoff team could be nothing but greed on general manager Kyle Davidsons behalf.
Donato currently has a more than affordable cap hit of just $2 million a year. And with the Seth Jones salary retention meaning only $2.5 million a year is spent on him, it definitely gives some leeway for Donato to push for a high $3 million AAV, or even a short term $4 million deal. Either way, Donato is a player Chicago know they can rely on for goal scoring and production, and should definitely not see his form and talent as a way to acquire some pretty pointless draft capital.
It's no doubt that Donato would be happy to be traded to a playoff team and give himself a chance at winning the cup, but at the same time after just having a baby, and having one of the best seasons of his career, it only makes sense that his hard work and dedication to the Blackhawks in the last two years, has earned himself the opportunity to stay a couple more years in the windy city.
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