The Chicago Blackhawks are in the midst of another tough season, going 19-35-8 through their first 62 games. The Blackhawks have the second-lowest point total (46) in the NHL entering Friday's action.
Given where they are standings-wise, the Blackhawks are expected to be sellers. They already traded Seth Jones, and have several other veterans to sell as well. None of them possess more value than Ryan Donato, who felt like a lock to be moved to a team trying to win a Stanley Cup this season.
As it turns out, though, the Blackhawks are talking about an extension with Donato, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. While that doesn't mean he's off the trade block entirely, the Blackhawks certainly appear motivated to keep him around. While that makes the team better in the short-term undoubtedly, it's not the best move to make with the team's future in mind.
There's extension talks going on between the Blackhawks and pending UFA Ryan Donato, let's see if Chicago can extend him today. If not, the Hawks have been telling teams all week they need to be blown away to move him.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 7, 2025
Blackhawks must strongly consider selling high on Ryan Donato
Donato has been one of the few bright spots for Chicago this season, recording 23 goals and 46 points through his first 60 games. His goal and point totals are already career-highs, and the Blackhawks still have 20 games to go. With that being said, Donato is 28 years old and is a free agent after the year. The Blackhawks would be making a mistake not trading him.
Had Donato been five years younger, keeping him around would make sense, especially when he's in the middle of his best season by far. He isn't, though, and the Blackhawks shouldn't be sold that Donato is some franchise cornerstone when he's breaking out in his eighth season.
The best move by a wide margin is to sell high. The trade market is as much of a seller's market as there has been in quite some time. The New York Islanders just got a first-round pick and a high-end prospect in exchange for Brock Nelson, a 33-year-old pending UFA with worse statistics this season despite playing on a much better roster.
Donato doesn't have Nelson's track record, obviously, but he's also five years younger. He should be able to net a comparable return, if not a better one. Even if all the Blackhawks can get is a first-round pick, it should be a no-brainer to go through with that deal.
There's something to be said about keeping some talent around Connor Bedard, but the Blackhawks simply cannot miss out on the kind of return they can get for Donato at this point. Hopefully, Kyle Davidson cashes in while he still can.