Jan 30, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato (8) looks on during the warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

We are less than 48 hours away from the NHL trade deadline, and, despite already dealing away Seth Jones, the Chicago Blackhawks remain open for business. All deals must be finalized by 2 p.m. on Friday.

During the CHSN Blackhawks pregame show on Wednesday night, NHL insider Frank Seravalli gave a few updates on players who have garnered interest around the league in Chicago, headlined by forward Ryan Donato.

Asking Price for Donato is a first-round pick

Per Seravalli, the Blackhawks are asking for a first-round pick for the team’s leading goal scorer. Donato, 28, will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and is currently making $2M AAV. He’s having a career year with 22 goals and 45 points through 59 games entering Wednesday night.

“The Blackhawks have sifted through a steady stream of interest,” Seravalli said on the CHSN broadcast. “They’re willing to be patient to let the market as a whole continue to develop. It’s going to have to be a compelling offer for the Blackhawks to move off of Donato…This might drag into Friday, but I think they’re willing to be patient to see, as a whole, what Donato could bring back.”

The market for Donato should garner a first-round pick or an equal asset, given his production this season, his expiring contract, and the prices that have been paid for players of similar value. For example, Gustav Nyquist, who was traded for a second-round pick but is older and has lesser production numbers than Donato this season. Or like Yanni Gourde, who was part of a multi-player deal that included multiple first-round picks between Tampa Bay and Seattle.

Chicago doesn’t have to trade Donato if their asking price isn’t met, as he is a player that would still be useful to the Blackhawks in the near future.

Petr Mrázek is available

Also mentioned on the broadcast by Seravalli was goaltender Petr Mrázek. After the acquisition of Spencer Knight, the Blackhawks have three healthy NHL goaltenders on their roster with a fourth NHLer on the books, Laurent Brossoit. Since the arrival of Knight, Mrázek has been the odd-man out for both games.

“Davidson’s trying to find a landing spot for Petr Mrázek, who unfortunately is just a victim of circumstance, here,” Seravalli said on CHSN. “He probably would have gone to Florida in the same deal with Seth Jones had this been an expiring contract…they’re not even asking for anything in return for someone to take Mrázek off their hands and get him playing again and get him to a good spot.”

Mrázek carries a $4.25M AAV through next season, and the Blackhawks don’t have any salary retention spots available since retaining a small portion of Seth Jones’ contract.

With an underwhelming season (.890 SV%, 3.46 GAA) and a high price tag for another year, moving Mrázek appears to be difficult to complete by Friday’s deadline and could more likely be worked out in the summer.

Blackhawks don’t want a pick for Lukas Reichel

Finally, Seravalli also mentioned the possibility of the Blackhawks’ forward, Lukas Reichel. While there is interest in the 22-year-old former first-round pick, the Blackhawks are not interested in moving him for next to nothing.

“There have been teams percolating, asking about him,” Seravalli added on the CHSN broadcast. “I have zero doubt in my mind that Kyle Davidson will get a call on Friday…someone knocking at the door to say, ‘Hey, would you take a third or a fourth round pick? Let me take Reichel off your hands.’ That’s not going to get it done. They’d rather have a player for player swap, if possible.”

Reichel hasn’t become the player many thought he would be by now after going 17th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. But after a down year in 2023-24, Reichel has had more consistency in his game this season, and with six goals and 19 points in 52 games entering Wednesday night, he is outproducing his numbers from last year (five goals, 16 points in 65 games).

Reichel carries a minuscule $1.2M AAV cap hit through next season and is a restricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season. There’s still room for him to be a part of the future for the Blackhawks, but he could still be a player that benefits from a change of scenery outside of Chicago and would likely be moved for a young player in a similar situation.