Chicago Blackhawks Submit Extension To Top Forward And The Details Leak
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Blackhawks Keep Ryan Donato in the organization with Big Extension Offer
During the NHL trade deadline on Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks dove back into talks about locking down forward Ryan Donato, who's set to hit free agency this summer.
They have yet to seal the deal right, but the team decided to hang onto him anyway, clearly seeing his value, despite being valued at a first round pick at the deadline.
Scott Powers of The Athletic shared that Chicago offered a three-year contract worth roughly $4 million per season.
That's a hefty bump, and basically doubling what Donato's making now.
And with the short term, it keeps things flexible for the Blackhawks, letting them avoid big commitments when their young stars start demanding bigger paydays down the road.
Davidson on not trading Ryan Donato
"We set a high price because we value Ryan. He's a great example that you want in your organization. He had value in the marketplace but it never rose to the value where we wanted to move on it."
"We set a high price because we value Ryan. He's a great example that you want in your organization. He had value in the marketplace but it never rose to the value where we wanted to move on it."
At 28, Donato's having a career-high year, notching 23 goals and 25 assists in just 62 games.
Donato is not even averaging 16 minutes a night, yet he's been a real key-piece for the teams' very little success this season, sitting second last in the NHL.
It's no surprise they want to keep him around, especially as they rebuild, but fans believed they should've cashed out when his value was the highest.
"Kyle Davidson extending Donato would be a huge mistake. He's 28, and his value is the highest it will ever be. Get a 1st or two seconds"
Said a Blackhawks fan on XDonato's got a tough call to make: stick with Chicago, where he knows he fits, or test the market to see if he can earn himself a better deal.
That $4 million price tag shows how much the Blackhawks value him, but it's a big decision.
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