Player Discussion Ryan Donato

[57special]

Just noticed there was no dedicated thread for him, so I thought I'd make one. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Coyle/Donato swap, but that's water under the bridge.

I'm dubious that he can be a C, but Boudreau believes he is worth taking a look at in that position. If he can play C, it'd be huge for this team.

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[Dr Jan Itor]

I’d rather they not ask him to learn the position on the fly at the NHL level, but I’m guessing it’ll be a short-lived experiment anyway.

 

[2Pair]

I’d rather they not ask him to learn the position on the fly at the NHL level, but I’m guessing it’ll be a short-lived experiment anyway.

Donato is a coaches kid. I would bet he's played center everywhere but the NHL

 

[Olcoach]

Donato is a coaches kid. I would bet he's played center everywhere but the NHL

According to an article in the Trib his dad had a conversation with BB about it. That is where the idea originated. I agree with the good Doctor, let's not try and develop it at the NHL level.

 

[Wabit]

According to an article in the Trib his dad had a conversation with BB about it. That is where the idea originated. I agree with the good Doctor, let's not try and develop it at the NHL level.

I'll say the same thing as I did about Greenway last year trying center. We won't know if he can or he can't until he's tried there. This is what preseason is for, to try things out.

If the kid shows promise send him down the the AHL to learn there. The NHL team (when healthy) is stacked with LHS wings already. He's waivers exempt for a few games still, so even if he is a little better than some other FWDs he could be the odd man out. If anything maybe he'll learn to see the game a little better in the d-zone by playing center in the AHL (if this is what happens).

 

[AKL]

I'll say the same thing as I did about Greenway last year trying center. We won't know if he can or he can't until he's tried there. This is what preseason is for, to try things out.

If the kid shows promise send him down the the AHL to learn there. The NHL team (when healthy) is stacked with LHS wings already. He's waivers exempt for a few games still, so even if he is a little better than some other FWDs he could be the odd man out. If anything maybe he'll learn to see the game a little better in the d-zone by playing center in the AHL (if this is what happens).

Well that's certainly not going to happen, nor should it.

 

[Wabit]

Well that's certainly not going to happen, nor should it.

Why not? It's what should have happened with Greenway last year.

One of Donato, Greenway, or Kunin should start the season in Iowa.

In some shape or form these are locks for the lineup:
Parise/Staal/Zucc
Zucker/Koivu/Fiala
Foligno/JEE/Hartman

That leaves 3 spots for Rask, Donato, Kunin, and Greenway:
-Kunin being a RHS gives him an edge to stay. Is waivers exempt all season
-Rask could be pressboxed, but I think they'll play him if he shows any signs of life. Even if it's just to try and boost his trade value enough that someone wants him.
-Greenway has a better 2-way game, and BB does like his big bodied FWDs. 67 games of waivers exempt.
-Donato, best at offense of the group, but defense is the worst. 8 games of waivers exempt.

I see Donato as a FWD that needs to be on a scoring line. I don't see him (or Rask) doing well on the Koivu or Foligno lines. I also don't see him getting a spot on the PP, where only one spot is up for grabs.

Parise/Staal/Zucc
Suter/Dumba

Fiala/Koivu/Zucker (even though I can't stand him on the PP)
Spurgeon/??? (Hunt, Kunin, Donato, Rask, Greenway, and Brodin could all be options).

 

[RedeyeRocketeer]

How has he looked so far?

 

[57special]

Meh.

 

[Mickey the mouse]

Anyone that knows him and his play can’t expect anything different
Runs hot and cold but when he’s hot he’s really hot
Himself / shoot 1st mentality
Awful defensively
Avg skating
Not going to win many battles

thanks Fenton

 

[TaLoN]

He looks nothing like the player we traded for late last season.

 

[Wabit]

He looks nothing like the player we traded for late last season.

He just was on a hot streak last year. It made it easy to overlook the flaws in his game; which were still there.

 

[Wild11MN]

Does he get sent down? If he plays tomorrow night he is no longer waiver-exempt. The issue is with the number of injuries this team has, it might be hard to send him down.

 

[Wabit]

Does he get sent down? If he plays tomorrow night he is no longer waiver-exempt. The issue is with the number of injuries this team has, it might be hard to send him down.

There isn't much left to callup and replace him in the lineup. I thought he should have started the year in Iowa.

 

[zellmatic]

Boston duped us (Fenton). I like the he shoots a lot, but he doesn't bring much else to the table. Makes me wish we still had Coyle, who even with his deficiencies was still much more well rounded.

 

[57special]

Does he even shoot a lot?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Pretty telling that he wasn't elevated when Greenway went out.

 

[Bazeek]

Does he even shoot a lot?

He's at like 8 shots/60 min, which is only behind Mayhew and Kunin. Just above Staal (surprisingly).

 

[thestonedkoala]

No big surprise that Donato sucks.

 

[Bazeek]

No big surprise that Donato sucks.

I don't think he sucks, but he's easy to knock off the puck and isn't great defensively. Especially in a game like the one last night where they're down a forward, up 3-0 and everyone was focusing on shutting down the McDavid line. He's going to have a hard time getting minutes in situations like that.

He's got to work on not getting knocked around so easily, though.

 

[Wabit]

Donato has a lot of skill, it's just his weaknesses are glaring (but fixable). If he can play passable defense win some puck battles he'll have a good career. The offensive skills and instincts are there.

 

[Goose312]

Send him down! Greenway, JEE and Rask all skated today, if 2 of them can go then send Donato to the AHL instead of playing him 9 minutes again. But of course they won't and they'll end up in another JEE situation with a guy not good enough to play in the role where he might be able to develop and unable to send him down to the AHL to have an opportunity to play in that role.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I don't think he sucks, but he's easy to knock off the puck and isn't great defensively. Especially in a game like the one last night where they're down a forward, up 3-0 and everyone was focusing on shutting down the McDavid line. He's going to have a hard time getting minutes in situations like that.

He's got to work on not getting knocked around so easily, though.

Aka he sucks. He isn't going to find a lot of time of opportunities in Minnesota if he doesn't play a good defensive game. I wouldn't be sad if him or Fiala were traded immediately.

 

[123TripleDoge]

send him down and swap with Anas? I wanna see him get a shot

 

[AJ Thelen]

Would love to trade him for RHS winger who can play center and has decent size.