Evgenii Dadonov

The NHL tweaks its punishment on Ottawa for that messy Evgenii Dadonov trade fiasco from the Pierre Dorion era, sparing the new regime a total first-rounder forfeiture. Michael Andlauer lobbies hard behind closed doors, and now the Sens pick dead last in 2026's first round with no trading allowed, plus they cough up a cool million to the NHL Foundation.

The NHL softens its Evgenii Dadonov trade punishment, handing the Senators the 32nd pick in a ruling that sets new league precedent. Ottawa's draft table celebrates the upgrade as Staios balances fines and cap woes. This shift bolsters their prospect pool just as the hot streak ignites playoff talk.

The NHL finally reconsiders Ottawa's long hangover from that botched 2021 Dadonov trade, where the Sens stiffed Vegas on the no-trade list and sparked a league-wide circus. New ownership lobbied hard for relief, and the league bends just enough to let them keep a first-rounder in 2026 - but it's locked at 32nd overall with no trading allowed. That million-dollar fine stings, but it beats total forfeiture, especially as Ottawa claws toward relevance in a crowded Atlantic.

The NHL finally pulls the plug on that lingering Dadonov trade fiasco, reinstating Ottawa's 2026 first-round pick right where it lands at 32nd overall. Sens brass under Michael Andlauer and Steve Staios have quietly pushed back on a penalty doled out under the old regime, drawing parallels to the Devils' Kovalchuk escape hatch that shaved their forfeiture down to the draft's tail end.

The Ottawa Senators dodge a full draft bullet as Gary Bettman steps in to modify their long-standing penalty from the Dadonov trade mess that hung over the franchise for years. Front offices around the league buzzed about how Ottawa would navigate this cap on their future, but Bettman's adjustment slides them right into the No. 32 spot for this year's draft.

The NHL tweaks its punishment on the Senators over that messy Evgenii Dadonov trade saga from back in 2021, when Pierre Dorion's undisclosed retention list info torpedoed deals with Vegas and Anaheim. Ottawa originally faced forfeiting a first-rounder in 2024, 2025, or 2026, a gut punch that had fans pleading for mercy since Dorion's already out the door.