Luke Richardson removes goal scorer from roster in surprising move after 5-2 win vs Oilers
The Chicago Blackhawks convincingly took down the Edmonton Oilers, with a 5-2 victory Saturday night.
But apparently, Head Luke Richardson has other plans as he has taken Ryan Donato, a bottom-six contributor out of the lineup.
Donato wouldn't make a mark on the scoresheet against the Oilers but was a factor in keeping the Blackhawks alive with the dominant Winnipeg Jets.
Donato has 1 point, in 3 games which isn't a bad start for someone who's primarily a bottom-six forward.
Donato whistled a wrist shot past Connor Hellebuyck after being sprung on a bank pass off the boards from Patrick Maroon to open the scoring in Friday's contest. Donato added two hits and a plus-1 rating in 10:51 of ice time. Offensive production will be hard to come by for the 28-year-old forward, given his fourth-line role, but Donato has performed capably as a depth forward with at least 30 points in two of the last three seasons. The left-shot forward would get a boost from staying on Chicago's second power-play unit, but he has been on and off during man-advantage situations so far this campaign
He's not utilized in a manner that maximizes scoring ability but still remains efficient providing a depth scoring option he doesn't have with Pat Maroon.
What's puzzling is, if there was anyone who was worth scratching on the team, it wouldn't be Donato.
It'd be T.J. Brodie or Ilya Mikheyev, but instead, he comes for Donato.
Donato has always been a reliable contributor during his time with the Blackhawks. He played 78 games last season in a role that saw him go up and down the lineup, scoring 30 points( 12 G, 18 A).
The way Donato is getting singled out here, is kind of troubling, as there is no sense in removing him from the lineup.
Did Ryan Donato kick Luke Richardson's dog?
| POLL | ||
Do you think Ryan Donato deserves to be a healthy scratch in the Blackhawks lineup? | ||
| Yes | 53 | 21.3 % |
| No | 196 | 78.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
