Ryan Donato makes his case to be part of Seattle Kraken core

When Ryan Donato found himself a free agent this summer, he was looking for an opportunity for a new start with a new team. When the Seattle Kraken came calling, he saw that opportunity and signed a one-year contract for an affordable $750,000.

Top Seattle Kraken trade assets for March 21 NHL trade deadline

So far that contract has been beneficial to both player and team. Donato is having a career year and may have found a home after playing for three different teams prior.

“Everybody was excited about a fresh start or a new start for an organization,” Donato says. “It’s something to be a part of, I can say to my kids one day that I was one of the first players for the Kraken and that was attractive and obviously just a bunch of opportunity.”

Like most sports, opportunity and playing time are key factors.

Often the difference between a player putting up numbers or not is how much opportunity that player ends up getting. The chance for more ice time was and is one of the attractive aspects of signing with an expansion team.

“There are guys that have earned ice time in different spots and everybody’s coming in here starting from the beginning,” Donato says. “So, there’s a lot of opportunity up for grabs.”

Donato has grabbed that opportunity and the 25-year-old, who played his college hockey at Harvard, has earned the most ice time of his career and is one goal away from tying a career-high.

He has 13 goals in 54 games and while playing for a team that struggles to score goals, he’s been a solid possession player. Donato plays hard, has shown a scoring touch, and is making a case for himself to be part of the Seattle Kraken core moving forward.

🚨DONATO!!🚨 pic.twitter.com/ZoUtuWGXvm

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) October 6, 2021

“It’s been great,” Donato says of his season. “I think the coaches do a great job at teaching guys the ins and outs of their systems. I’m just trying to listen as much as I can and be a sponge around all these guys that have played a lot of games here. Just try and capitalize when I get an opportunity.”

Donato’s earned the opportunity he’s had this season which makes the three straight games that he was a healthy scratch for on the recent road trip a bit of a head scratch.

The way he’s played it would seem his name was being written on the lineup card in ink. Donato took it well, never complained, and bided his time before getting back on the ice.

“It’s frustrating and understandable,” Donato says. “I think it is frustrating in the sense that I feel like I’ve been playing good and that kind of stuff. And it’s understandable because I think there are a lot of things that are going on that are out of my control, right? We’re at a certain point of the year, nine or 10 days before the trade deadline. So, I’m always gonna be the same player no matter what. I’ll show up and put my hard hat on and not really worried about anything else.”

Donato was back in the lineup against the Ottawa Senators and scored a goal during Seattle’s 4-3 overtime loss in which the Kraken erased a 3-0 deficit in the third period. Donato was a part of that comeback and point in the standings.

Then, in Montreal the next game, Donato scored again to help the Kraken salvage the road trip with a win.

It was a strong response to sitting out.

“The coaches are very good at communicating that there are things that are going on and I’m always open to making sure I’m ready,” Donato says. “I’m not going to be a guy that’s making it about myself or anything like that. If that’s the way they wanted the situation to go, that’s the way it is. But I know that when my number’s called, I’ll make sure that I try and change their mind and not let it happen like that again.”

Donato is the type of player good teams benefit from having on the roster. He’s not a star and is probably not going to be in the top six of the lineup, but can he chip in offensively, is versatile, and can play up and down the lineup.

Last week, Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis stated he’s looking to identify a core of players that are already on the roster as he navigates the trade deadline and prepares for a summer of free agency pursuits. Donato is wedging his way into the mix to be one of those core players as the team rebuilds.

“I would love to be a part of the core,” Donato says. “I don’t know how everybody else feels. It’s not really up to me but it’s more of a come to the rink every day and doing the right things and there’s no real set core. It just kind of depends on who shows up and I try to do that every single day.

“You’re well-liked by your teammates and not making it about yourself and playing for something bigger than yourself. And in those types of things, I think I make a good guy for core but at the end of the day, there are decisions that you got to make and I just got to control and what I can control.”

Donato is a restricted free agent at season’s end which means the Seattle Kraken will have the first shot at retaining Donato for the following season.

His play has earned him a raise, but he should be an affordable option, assuming he wants to return. Donato, his girlfriend, and their dog have come to love the city, despite the rain and he wants to come back next season.

“I would love to be a part of the future here,” he says. “There’s a business side of it and I want to make sure I do whatever I can to put myself in the best position to be back here.”

More Seattle Kraken news and analysis

Follow @AndyEide