Projected Bottom-6 Forward Nets Two-Year Contract with $2M Cap Hit.
The Blackhawks agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent forward Ryan Donato on Saturday for a two-year contract with a $2 million salary cap hit.
“Ryan adds depth and versatility to our team and will complement our forward group well,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a news release. “He will be a great addition to our system.”
After signing 38-year-old Corey Perry to a one-year $4 million deal on Friday, Davidson thought most of "the heavy lifting" for Chicago's roster was done heading into the the NHL's free agent signing period.
The 27-year-old Donato had 14 goals and 27 points in 71 regular-season games with the Seattle Kraken in 2022-23 campaign. He also added two assists in 14 playoff games.
The 6-foot, 190-pound forward has skated in 325 career NHL regular-season games with Boston, Minnesota, San Jose and Seattle, recording 65 goals and 135 points. The Boston native was drafted by the Bruins in the second round, 56th overall, in 2014.
Donato played at Harvard University, where his father, Ted, is coach. Ted Danato played 13 seasons in the NHL.
With his Donato's deal on the books, the Blackhawks team salary cap hit for 2023-24 reached $64.6 million, per CapFriendly. Chicago is over the salary floor, but well short of the limit of $83.5 million.