It’s time for another round of NHL rumours. We’re past the trade deadline, but there are still plenty of rumours to talk about. We saw plenty of names bandied about at the March 7 deadline. There were a number of trades made, but plenty of other players didn’t get dealt at the deadline. The fallout is now that some players may be seeking extensions with their current teams. One team that was rumoured to be making a deal of an in-demand forward was the Chicago Blackhawks. This edition of NHL rumours deals with what’s next for both sides.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Chicago Blackhawks Looking to Extend Forward
Rumour: In the latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun addressed what’s next for the Blackhawks and forward Ryan Donato . It seemed like Donato was rumoured to be traded at the deadline, but no deal materilized.
Analysis: Donato looked like some teams were poking around when it came to picking him up. However, the deadline came and went with Donato staying put in the Windy City. The soon-to-be 29-year-old is picking a great time to have a career-season. Donato has 23 goals and 28 assists and 51 points in 65 games this season.
The son of former Boston Bruins player and current Harvard University coach Ted Donato is an unrestricted free agent at the end of season. He has a very team-friendly $2 million price tag that some thought would make for an easy move. However, nothing happened and Donato will finish out the season in Chicago.
Despite this, it could be a blessing in disguise for both sides. Donato and the Blackhawks could be on a pathway to extending their partnership beyond this season. He could finally get some stability and a decent payday in this new deal.
What It Means
Chicago has plenty of salary cap space and Donato is seemingly in line for a decent-sized raise. The veteran forward has bounced around the league, but it seems like he’s found a home with the Blackhawks.
Chicago General Manager Kyle Davidson has been clearing out cap space . However, he did make a run at signing some veterans in the last off-season. The Blackhawks do also went to give Connor Bedard some players to work with in the next off-season.
The Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope also speculated on what Doanto’s next deal may hold. Davidson does have plenty of cap space, but Pope said that Blackhawks’ management won’t be reckless with all that salary cap space.
Pope mentions a couple of comparable players that could be an outline for a new deal. Journeymen players like Anthony Duclair and Frank Vatrano were the ones mentioned by Pope as a template for Donato’s new deal.
Something like a three or four-year deal could be appealing to Donato, who has bounced around the league. Some stability might work out for Donato and a deal upwards of $4 million might be the right dollar amount. Duclair got $3.5 million while Vatarno received over $4.571 million per season.
Main photo by: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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