Blackhawks sign Dominic Toninato to two-year, two-way contract

The Chicago Blackhawks continued to add to their roster on the opening day of NHL Free Agency, signing center Dominic Toninato on a two-year, two-way contract. 

The deal comes with an $850,000 cap hit and runs through the 2026-27 season, giving the Blackhawks some further options down the middle and a veteran for the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, when needed. Earlier in the day, the Blackhawks also traded for forward Sam Lafferty, sending a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange

Toninato played in five regular-season games and two Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets in 2024-25, but spent most of the season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, where he scored a career-high with 18 assists and 36 points. He also led the team in goals with 18, one short of his career-high mark of 19 in 50 games in 2022-23. 

Although the 31-year-old has not had a consistent NHL role throughout his career, he has spent time with the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, and Winnipeg Jets, playing in 189 NHL regular-season games and scoring 13 goals and 35 assists in that span. 

Initially taken as the 216th overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-2, 201-pound forward never played for the organization, instead making his professional debut in 2017-18 with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. 

In 255 career regular-season AHL contests, he has 73 goals and 71 assists, making him a strong option for veteran play on the NHL Blackhawks or in the minors with the IceHogs. 

Despite the development of young star Connor Bedard in his second season, 2024-25, the Blackhawks still finished 31st among the NHL’s 32 teams and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. 

Heading into next season, the key will be to continue their upward momentum and stay competitive, something Toninato will hope to help with.