The NHL on Thursday modified the disciplinary sanction levied against the Ottawa Senators for their role in the July 2021 trade of Evgenii Dadonov to Vegas and subsequent voided deal in March 2022 between the Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks.
The sanction initially imposed on the Senators in November 2023 provided for the forfeiture of the club’s first-round draft pick in the 2024, 2025 or 2026 NHL Draft. The Senators asked the league to reconsider the deal, citing primarily the change in club ownership and oversight.
The NHL on Thursday announced the Senators will be granted a first-round pick in the 2026 draft, but it will be No. 32 — the final selection — no matter where they finish in the standings. In addition, the Senators will not be permitted to trade or transfer that pick and will pay a fine of $1 million to the NHL Foundation Canada.
“We fully accept the modified sanctions the League has imposed today,” Senators owner Michael Andlauer said. “We are grateful for the league and commissioner keeping an open mind on this issue and modifying the penalty. The Senators organization is appreciative the fine money will be directed to the NHL Foundation Canada, to help grow the sport in our country. We consider this matter closed and will have no further comments on the situation.”
To accommodate this modification, all teams that would have selected after the Senators in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft will move up a slot.
The Senators traded Dadonov to Vegas for defenseman Nick Holden and a third-round draft pick on July 28, 2021. Ottawa, however, failed to inform Vegas that Dadonov had a 10-team no-trade clause in his contract, thus creating trouble at the 2022 NHL trade deadline.
Just prior to that deadline on March 21, 2022, the Golden Knights sent Dadonov and a second-round draft pick to the Ducks in exchange for defenseman John Moore and Ryan Kesler’s contract. That deal, however, was canceled by the NHL because Dadonov had the Ducks as one of the teams on his no-trade list.
Now 37, Dadonov is in his first season with the New Jersey Devils after signing a one-year, $1 million contract on July 1, 2025.
