The Ottawa Senators will have to forfeit a first-round NHL Draft pick from one of the next three seasons due to their actions in the Vegas Golden Knights’ failed trade of Evgenii Dadonov in 2022.
On Wednesday, the NHL announced the Senators’ punishment for their role in the failed Dadonov trade from the Golden Knights to the Anaheim Ducks that occurred at the 2022 NHL trade deadline. Days after the March 21 trade deadline, the NHL voided a deal between the Golden Knights and the Ducks due to Dadonov’s limited no-trade clause that was not complied with.
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Over a year after the failed trade, we now have a clear answer as to what went wrong here. So, how are the Senators involved in all of this? Let’s take a look.
What happened in the failed trade between the Golden Knights and Ducks?
At the 2022 NHL trade deadline, the Golden Knights attempted to trade Dadonov, a forward, and either a 2023 or 2024 second-round pick to the Ducks for defenseman John Moore and Ryan Kesler’s contract. Not long after the deal was announced, the trade hit a snag as the NHL began to investigate into the matter.
Two days later, the trade was then marked invalid by the NHL due to a limited no-trade clause in Dadonov’s contract. Dadonov then stayed on the Golden Knights to finish out the year before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in the offseason. The forward now plays with the Dallas Stars on a new contract.
What was the Senators role in the failed Dadonov trade?
Before Dadonov was a member of the Golden Knights, he signed his then current contract with the Senators. At the time it was signed in 2020, it was a three-year, $15 million deal which included a limited no-trade clause.
But when the Senators traded Dadonov to the Golden Knights in 2021, Ottawa failed to inform the Golden Knights of this no-trade clause. When Vegas and Anaheim attempted to make a trade, neither the Golden Knights or Ducks were aware of the no-trade clause, which shifted the blame to the feet of the Senators for this debacle.
So, what are the details of the Senators punishment here?
For failing to inform the Golden Knights of Dadonov’s no-trade clause and causing an invalid trade to occur, the Senators will have to forfeit a first-round draft pick of their choosing in either the 2024, 2025, or 2026 Draft. According to the NHL, the Senators have to determine which pick will be forfeited “within 24 hours of the conclusion of the Draft Lottery for that year.”
