Blackhawks Rumors: Ryan Donato Becoming Prime Trade Candidate

It has been another tough season for the Chicago Blackhawks. They currently have an 8-15-2 record and are at the bottom of the NHL standings. Due to this, the expectation is that the Blackhawks will be sellers this season.

Because of this, one Blackhawks player who should be watched incredibly closely in the trade market is forward Ryan Donato.

Donato, 28, has had an excellent start to the season with the Blackhawks. In 23 games, the 2014 second-overall pick has 10 goals to go along with 15 points. With this, he is on pace to crush his current career highs in goals (16) and points (31).

Donato is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), so he is standing out as a prime rental candidate on the Blackhawks. Teams looking for more secondary scoring will likely have the 6-foot forward on their radar. This is especially so when noting that he has an affordable $2 million cap hit.

Donato provides value because of his ability to play both down the middle and on the wing. This is precisely the kind of versatility that playoff clubs are always looking for.

Nevertheless, we will need to wait and see if the Blackhawks elect to trade Donato before the trade deadline passes from here.