The trouble with the Evgenii Dadonov trade is finally over for coach Travis Green and the Ottawa Senators.
On Thursday morning, the NHL announced that Ottawa’s lost first-round draft pick is back. This decision lifts a serious issue that has been hanging over the team since the messed-up trade with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021.
Instead of taking away the draft pick entirely, the league imposed a fine of one million dollars on the NHL Foundation Canada.
General manager Steve Staios and the new owners worked quietly for several months to convince the league about their situation.
Their main point was very clear. The big mistake was made by a totally different management team.
It didn’t make sense to penalize the current leaders for mistakes made by those who were in charge before.
The last general manager didn’t give the Golden Knights a list of ten teams that the player wouldn’t accept trades to. This mistake embarrassed the league when Vegas later tried to trade the experienced player to the Anaheim Ducks.
Fairness for the New Era
The league rightly saw that Staios was not involved in that mess at all.
Now, the Senators will choose 32nd in the next draft, if they keep the pick. If Ottawa doesn’t make the playoffs and wins the draft lottery for a top-two spot, the NHL will redo the selection.
The team is currently fighting hard to secure a playoff spot with a good record of 32 wins, 22 losses, and 9 ties. They are only three points behind the Boston Bruins for the last wild-card position in the Eastern Conference.
Getting back a first-round pick is a huge win for Staios.
The management really needs affordable, new players to help support their increasingly costly main group.
Coach Green has the team performing well with good teamwork and sharp passing, but they still lack depth throughout the roster.
Draft picks are the most valuable resource in the NHL right now. Staios now has the tools he needs to make a big impact during the draft or improve his group of young players.
Giving away a million-dollar check is an absurdly low cost for a top draft choice.
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