CHICAGO — Ryan Donato wanted to stay, and the Chicago Blackhawks wanted to keep the hard-charging forward.

It took a while, but they figured it out.

The Blackhawks announced Wednesday that they had re-signed Donato to a $16 million, four-year contract. He was eligible for unrestricted free agency before agreeing to his new deal with his fifth NHL team.

“Ryan brings energy and competes hard every game which has been a huge asset to our team over the last two seasons,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “He’s been a crucial part of our offense, and we’re excited for Ryan to continue to make a difference in our lineup for the next four years.”

The 29-year-old Donato is coming off a breakout performance. He set career highs with 31 goals and 31 assists in 80 games this season. His previous career bests were 16 goals in 2021-22 with Seattle and 18 assists in his first season with Chicago.

Donato’s camp had conversations with the team about a new contract ahead of the trade deadline, but the sides weren’t able to finish the job. The Blackhawks ended up holding onto Donato through the deadline.

“We did have a rapid discussion around then, and it didn’t get done, but I wouldn’t say there’s a hurdle or anything like that,” Davidson said during the team’s end-of-season availability with reporters in April. “Once you get past the deadline, everyone takes a little breather, and then you’re near the end of the season. I think things will pick up now that we’re through the year.”

Donato’s contract answers one major question for Chicago as it tries to move back into contention after years of losing. The Blackhawks went 25-46-11 this past season, finishing last in the Central Division and No. 31 overall in the NHL.

Donato, a Boston native and Harvard University product, has 108 goals and 119 assists in 483 career games, also playing for the Bruins, Wild and Sharks. He joined the Blackhawks when he signed a $4 million, two-year contract with the team in 2023.

“We have obviously a super bright future here, and there’s going to be guys that make tremendous gains this summer that help the team, you know, win more games,” Donato said in April. “And I think Blackhawks fans and a lot of people are going to be surprised how quickly things can turn.”