Senators to forfeit first-round pick for role in 2022 nullified Evgenii Dadonov trade: Why now?

The NHL ruled the Ottawa Senators must surrender their first-round selection in one of the next three NHL drafts after a league investigation determined the organization played a pivotal role in a nullified trade involving forward Evgenii Dadonov in March of 2022.

According to the league’s brief statement Wednesday, the Senators will have to inform the league within 24 hours of the NHL draft lottery — either in 2024, 2025 or 2026 — if they are planning on forfeiting their first-round selection that year.

The Senators signed Dadonov to a three-year contract in 2020 and, as part of that deal, granted Dadonov a 10-team no-trade clause. The contract included a stipulation that Dadonov needed to alert the Senators of the 10 teams he could not be traded to during the 2021-22 season by July 1, 2021. On July 28, 2021, the Senators sent Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for defenceman Nick Holden and a third-round pick. The Golden Knights were not one of the teams on Dadonov’s no-trade list, so Ottawa was free to send him there.

At the trade deadline in March 2022, the Golden Knights sent Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks in a move to clear salary-cap space. Within 48 hours, that trade was reversed by the NHL, who announced: “The trade could not be concluded because Dadonov’s contract includes a limited no-trade clause, which has not been complied with.” In other words, Anaheim was on Dadonov’s no-trade list — a list the Golden Knights were apparently unaware even existed in the first place.

It should be noted this ruling does not affect the Senators’ first-round pick they acquired for the 2024 draft from the Detroit Red Wings as part of the Alex DeBrincat deal. Detroit holds the option of sending Ottawa the worst selection of their two 2024 first-round picks, as they also own a first-rounder from the Boston Bruins.

Senators Forfeit First-Round Draft Pick. https://t.co/ikFPeT2z6f pic.twitter.com/IZXVu4ZDfY

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) November 1, 2023

Why was this case re-opened now?

This is the question that is burning on the minds of a lot of Senators fans, who felt like their team shouldn’t be punished for an infraction that occurred 18 months ago.

But clearly, the Golden Knights were vigilant on this angle, desperate to exonerate themselves from what they felt was a humiliating incident at the trade deadline in 2022. Earlier this week, The Athletic reported the NHL had an “active investigation” into the Dadonov situation.

Clearly, at some point over the past several weeks, new information has surfaced to corroborate Vegas’ version of events — that places the blame squarely on the Senators organization.

Is there precedent for teams losing first-round picks?

In 2020, the NHL stripped a first- and second-round pick from the Arizona Coyotes after the league determined they violated the NHL’s combine testing policy.

The punishment was doled out by commissioner Gary Bettman, who said the Coyotes acted in a “grossly negligent manner.” Interestingly, Bettman did not implement a financial punishment on the Coyotes, opting to strip the franchise of draft picks instead.

“While the Combine Testing Policy Memoranda reference a fine of ‘no less than $250,000 for each violation’ of the Policy, I exercise my discretion to impose the aforementioned discipline — which I consider to be more appropriate given the specific circumstances of this case,” Bettman said in a statement issued on Aug. 26, 2020.

Curiously, in the announcement regarding the Senators, there was no quote or explanation attributed to Bettman.

How should new owner Michael Andlauer feel about this?

Michael Andlauer officially assumed ownership of the Senators on September 22. If he was not made aware of his liability in this case before the closing of the sale, he probably has every right to be frustrated.

And Andlauer could probably point at precedent here, considering the NHL lessened a penalty for the New Jersey Devils for their cap circumvention around Ilya Kovalchuk. The league initially penalized the Devils by taking away a first-round pick and a third-round pick and fining them $3 million in September of 2010 for signing Kovalchuk to a 17-year deal which was clear salary-cap circumvention.

The Devils had four years to surrender those draft picks, but by March 2014, the league relaxed the initial penalty. New Jersey didn’t lose a first-round pick — instead, it was pushed to the 30th spot — and its fine was reduced to $1.5 million.

“The Devils recently applied to the League for reconsideration and relief from a portion of the original penalty, citing primarily changes in circumstances which, in the club’s view, changed the appropriateness of the sanctions initially imposed,” the NHL said in a statement in March of 2014. “After due and thorough consideration, the League has decided that a modification of the original circumvention penalty associated with the Kovalchuk contract is warranted and, accordingly, has amended the sanctions.”

Interestingly, the Devils underwent new ownership in the summer of 2013, with Josh Harris and David Blitzer taking over. Less than a year later, the league softened their penalty.

What does this mean for GM Pierre Dorion’s future?

This is a fascinating question, considering Dorion was the general manager at the time in Ottawa. Losing a first-round pick directly because of his actions might be perceived as a fireable offense.

Considering the Senators are already at the salary cap ceiling — without Shane Pinto signed — this latest development is certainly not a good look for Dorion. But we should have a better indication of where things stand after the club makes an official comment later Wednesday.

Required reading

• Senators notebook: Joonas Korpisalo’s nod to Patrick Lalime, and more trouble on the way?
• LeBrun: Inside the Evgenii Dadonov trade reversal and what we learned about no-trade lists

(Photo: Jaylynn Nash / Getty Images)