NHL Tweaks Senators’ Penalty for Dadonov Trade: What Happened?
The controversy started in 2021 when Ottawa traded Evgenii Dadonov to Vegas, and continued in 2022 with the attempted trade to Anaheim. That trade with Anaheim was later invalidated. The NHL slapped Ottawa with a harsh penalty. They were forced to give up a first-round pick—one of the picks in 2024, 2025, or 2026.
Given that first-round picks are precious, and losing one can sting for years, that hurt. The Senators contested the punishment, arguing that both ownership and management had changed and that the punishment wasn't fair. They applied for a reconsideration, basically asking the League to rethink things.
The NHL has modified that penalty.
And the NHL listened and has now modified the penalty. The new deal is that Ottawa still loses a first-rounder, but it’s specifically the 32nd overall pick in 2026. That’s the last pick in the first round. They can’t trade it, sell it, or swap it—what you see is what you get. On top of that, Ottawa has to pay a $1 million fine, which goes directly to the NHL Foundation Canada to support hockey programs and community initiatives across the country.
So why the change? It comes down to fairness in the eyes of the NHL. New ownership, new management, and a desire to balance the punishment without crippling the team’s long-term rebuilding plans. Ottawa’s normal draft position—whatever it would have been based on standings or lottery—has been moved to that 32nd spot. Any teams that were behind Ottawa in the first round now bump up a spot, keeping the draft order tidy.
If the Senators do not make the playoffs, they cannot win the lottery draft.
Lottery rules got changed, too. If Ottawa doesn’t make the playoffs, they still get lottery odds based on their regular-season finish—but they cannot actually win the lottery. If a number combination assigned to Ottawa comes up, the NHL redraws it. This way, non-playoff teams behind Ottawa get a slightly better shot at the top pick.
The bottom line is that Ottawa gets a bit of relief compared to the original punishment, but the message is still clear: the NHL doesn’t forget trade missteps. The Senators lose a pick, pay a fine, and the League ensures it doesn’t impact the rest of the draft too wildly.
The Dadonov penalty has been adjusted, and it's no longer as harsh as it used to be.
In short: the Dadonov mess is old news, the Senators’ penalty is adjusted, and the draft lottery rules are clear. Ottawa can move on, but the NHL made sure everyone remembers the lesson—be careful how you handle trades.