Chicago Blackhawks sign Ryan Donato to two-year, $4 million contract

Chicago Blackhawks have signed free agent forward Ryan Donato to a two-year, $4 million contract. According to CapFriendly, the contract will have a cap hit of $2 million.

Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli was the first to report on the contract.

Donato spent the 2022-23 season with the Seattle Kraken, where he notched 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 71 games. The year prior, Donato registered a career-high 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 74 games. He picked up two assists during the Kraken’s 2022-23 Stanley Cup Playoffs run.

The Scituate, Massachusetts product has bounced around throughout his career so far, initially drafted No. 56 overall in the 2014 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins, he spent just two seasons there. During his first 12 NHL games, he had notched nine points. However, he was dealt in the 2018-19 season to the Minnesota Wild, where he collected four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in 22 games. He then signed a two-year extension with the Wild, where he notched 23 points in 2019-20 before being dealt to San Jose. He then signed as a free agent to the Kraken during their first inaugural season in the NHL.

Prior to his NHL tenure, Donato played at Harvard University and in 2017-18, he was named to the NCAA (East) First All-American Team, NCAA All-Ivy League First Team, NCAA (ECAC) Player of the Year and was a Hobey Baker Award Finalist after notching 26 goals and 43 points in 29 games. That same season, Donato played for the USA at the Olympic Games, notching five goals in five games, leading the Olympics.

The Blackhawks continue to add players to surround No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard.