Insider Provides Latest On Blackhawks & Ryan Donato Extension Talks

Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato was one of the NHL's top trade candidates leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline. However, Donato ended up staying put, and it was reported that he and the Blackhawks had extension talks on deadline day. However, a contract extension still has not come to fruition.

On the latest episode of TSN's Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun provided an update on where talks are at between Donato and the Blackhawks. According to LeBrun, discussions between Donato and the Blackhawks have cooled down since the deadline but are expected to resume in the future.

"Ryan Donato, they had extension talks on deadline day," LeBrun said. "We talked about it at the time. They kind of given that a breather since last Friday. The expectation is that both sides will start talking again soon."

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Donato is a pending unrestricted free agent and will hit the market on July 1 if both sides don't agree on a contract extension by then. However, with that being over three months away, it is understandable that they are taking some time to cool down before engaging in extension talks again.

Getting Donato extended would be massive for the Blackhawks, though. The 28-year-old forward has been spectacular for them this season, as he has set new career highs with 23 goals, 25 assists, and 48 points in 63 games.

It will be interesting to see if the Blackhawks and Donato can come to terms on a contract extension once they have discussions again. No matter where Donato ends up, he is, without a doubt, due for a nice raise from his current $2 million cap hit.