Kofi Inkoom
The NHL is preparing to take disciplinary action against the Ottawa Senators in response to a trade mishap that unfolded in March last year.
This incident revolves around the attempted trade of Russian forward Evgenii Dadonov from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Anaheim Ducks, which ultimately collapsed due to a significant oversight.
The core of the problem originated from the fact that Dadonov had included the Anaheim Ducks on his list of teams where he wouldn’t approve a trade.
However, the Vegas Golden Knights, who had acquired Dadonov from the Senators earlier, believed that the Russian winger hadn’t submitted this list in a timely manner.
This misunderstanding led to an attempt to trade Dadonov to the very team he aimed to avoid.
According to a report by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Vegas was unaware of Dadonov’s no-trade list, assuming he hadn’t met the deadline for its submission. Consequently, the proposed trade was nullified by the NHL.
Friedman explained, “One of the reasons was because Dadonov had Anaheim on his no-trade list. Now Vegas wasn’t aware of that. When they acquired him from the Ottawa Senators, they were told that Dadonov had not submitted his trade request on time.”
Friedman also mentioned, “The reason it’s relevant now is, sometime in the next few days the NHL is going to announce some sort of punishment to the Senators for that situation. I think we’re gonna get a clear explanation of what occurred and why Vegas wasn’t at fault.”
In light of these developments, the NHL is expected to unveil penalties for the Ottawa Senators in the upcoming days.
This forthcoming penalty aims to clarify the mishandling of the trade situation and why Vegas bears no blame.
It serves as a vivid reminder of the necessity for transparent communication and adherence to trade regulations in professional sports.
As for the Ottawa Senators’ 2023–24 season, it has been a mix of victories and defeats.
They achieved significant wins against the Penguins, Capitals, Lightning, and Flyers, demonstrating their ability to compete with some of the league’s top teams.
However, they experienced setbacks in games against the Islanders, Sabres, and Red Wings, resulting in losses.
At present, the Senators find themselves in the middle of the 2023–24 Atlantic Division standings.
With a record of 4 wins and 4 losses, they’ve accumulated 8 points. While there is room for improvement, the Senators remain a competitive force in the division, with aspirations of climbing higher in the rankings as the season unfolds.