Makes you wonder if promises were made...
This was my reply to a post in the Heinen thread earlier about possible "promises" to Donato:
Suspected handshake deal to get him to leave college and sign. I support it as he could have just waited a year and then signed with any team. He would have graduated while being a star in his father's team.
He'll be a good player down the road and we are lucky to have him.
I guess? Let me ask you something. Who do these supposed “handshake” deals benefit?
The player and agent may think it’s a good idea at the time because it secures a spot on the NHL team for the player and garners more money for he and the agent. However, if the player struggles and isn’t ready, it’s not good for their development as a player on the ice. It can make things difficult off the ice as well with fan displeasure and/or upset teammates who feel the player doesn’t belong.
I think it’s far more likely that the B’s told him last year if he signed that they would play him in the NHL and burn a year in his contract. They kept playing him because he performed well.
Based off that, they probably hoped he would pick up this year where he left off last regular season. They see his potential, but I highly doubt there was a handshake deal for this season.