Ryan Donato's relentless attack mentality makes him an intriguing Blackhawks trade chip

CHICAGO Ryan Donato doesnt think.

Ryan Donato just does.

If the puck hits his stick and theres a shooting lane in front of him, you can be darn sure hes shooting it.

Like, now .

And if theres no lane to shoot, that puck is coming off his stick in a teammates direction.

Like, right now.

The man just goes.

Advertisement My dads always instilled in me a shooters mentality, Donato said with a shrug.

Donato doesnt have Connor Bedard s shot, or Lukas Reichel s speed, or Taylor Hall s puck skills, or Tyler Bertuzzi s hand-eye coordination around the net, or Patrick Maroons physicality.

But he also doesnt have an off switch.

On a team loaded with too many passengers, in a season marked by half-hearted efforts, Donato brings everything he has just about every night.

In Monday nights 4-3 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes another come-from-ahead defeat, but a third straight game with a point for the Blackhawks Donato was his usual aggressive self.

On Chicagos first goal, Donato out-hustled Jaccob Slavin , one of the leagues best defensemen, down the wall to corral a Louis Crevier flip-in, then immediately flung the puck to a diving Philipp Kurashev in front of the net for the finish.

In the final minute of the second period, Donato came flying into the play from far back as Hall backheeled the puck to his own stick before hitting Donato in stride for the go-ahead goal.

the setup the goal pic.twitter.com/5BD5z9P3Qm Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 21, 2025 Simply put, Donato never hesitates.

Its why hes having a career year 14 goals and 13 assists in 45 games in a season that started with legitimate questions about whether hed even make the roster out of training camp after Kyle Davidsons flurry of veteran signings.

And its why hes one of the more intriguing bits of trade bait on the Blackhawks roster.

This time of year, general managers arent paying much attention to the Donatos of the hockey world.

Theyre looking for dynamic difference-makers on the wing, big physical defensemen or established veterans with invaluable championship experience.

Donato isnt any of those things.

But in hockey parlance, Donato has a motor, something that some GMs might take for granted, but that coaches cant get enough of.

Advertisement Hes a really good pro, Blackhawks interim coach Anders Sorensen said.

He prepares every day.

He comes in, hes early at the rink, he asks the right questions (whether) its through video or just on the ice.

And he competes.

Hes a competitor.

He wants to be in situations, and he wants to be in moments that matter on the ice.

So while Hall might be the biggest name available at the trade deadline, and while veteran defenseman and two-time Stanley Cup champion Alec Martinez might be more sought after, Donato might be the Blackhawks player who makes the biggest difference on whichever team does land him.

Hes exactly the kind of player an energy guy, a depth scorer, a versatile forward who can play any position who helps make decent teams good, and good teams very good.

And hell come cheap, too, probably for as little as a fourth-round draft pick, with just a $2 million cap hit that the Blackhawks might be willing to share for the rest of the season if it bumps that pick up a round.

Donato might be in the bargain bin come early March, but hell bring plenty of value.

Hall has been open about his desire to stay in Chicago and his acceptance of the reality that he likely wont.

It weighs on him.

Donato isnt dwelling on it quite so much.

Or, at least, hes trying not to.

He still sees things pop up on his phone, and his friends still pepper him with questions about his future.

But hes insistent that his focus is in Chicago, not on whatever playoff push hell be joining in six weeks or so.

When Im here, Im going to make sure Im giving my full attention to the task at hand, he said.

Im not going to worry about that, whether its the beginning of the season and me being on the roster or (the deadline) or whatever.

I just come with the mentality of how can I help the team win, better myself and better the team.

Weve still got a lot of stuff we want to fix and do here.

Advertisement Donato credited his improved skating his primary offseason focus for his uptick in scoring.

Its one thing to have a shooters mentality.

Its quite another to put yourself in situations and positions to use it.

And the more the puck goes in, the easier it is to maintain that attacking style.

Things can snowball in a positive direction, too.

Thats how you get a career season in a contract year.

Donatos versatility has placed him on every line in and every forward position, including more than 145 five-on-five minutes on the top line with Bedard.

But hes quickly developed a rapport with Hall on the new-look fourth line, with either Maroon or Kurashev.

We have a pretty good feel for one another, Hall said.

When you start playing with a guy, its important to play to your strengths as players.

Ive turned into a pretty good playmaker over the course of my career, and Donny has a real feel for where to go.

When he does get chances, they tend to go in at a pretty good rate.

Donato returned the compliment to Hall.

Hes a finisher, too, Donato said.

Hes the ultimate player.

Hes fun to play with.

I just want to get him the puck in spots where he wants it, and then get myself open and try to convert as much as I can.

The more the two of them do that, the more suitors theyll have in the coming weeks.

Of course, Hall, the former MVP, was always going to be a tantalizing prospect for playoff contenders.

But dont sleep on Donato.

Because it seems like he never does.

I owe that to my teammates, he said.

Im not worrying about the extra stuff.

Its a hard situation to be in, but every day you get to be an NHL player is a blessing, right? Why wouldnt you go all out? (Top photo: Adam Eberhardt / NHLI via Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.