It’s been almost 48 hours since the Golden Knights front office attempted to trade forward Evgenii Dadonov. While we wait for the league’s decision the coverage and speculation has been non-stop across the US and Canada.
You tell me how the NHL can do anything except void this trade. This is not on Ottawa. The Ottawa Senators right now should be telling the NHL, Anaheim and Vegas, scram. –Nick Kypreos on Sportsnet 590
Like all of us, pundits are puzzled as to how the deal was approved and how widely available trade protection information was missed by the NHL and the Golden Knights.
Vegas is saying that when they made the trade with Ottawa there was no trade list submitted. They had no idea that he had a no trade list. How is it possible in today’s age? You can click on CapFriendly and come up with every trade protection to every player in the NHL, yet the NHL and Vegas Golden Knights didn’t know. There’s a lot of finger pointing right now. This deal could get voided. –Darren Dreger on TSN Toronto
The deal in itself makes sense. Vegas would gain cap relief and have room to activate Mark Stone off LTIR. There is also an argument to be made that Dadonov’s depth scoring may have come in handy in the playoffs. Also, that Stone might not be fully healthy or as effective as he can be.
If this trade doesn’t go through it’s going to be extremely difficult for them to activate some of the players they have on LTIR. I do think it’s possible that another team, like Arizona, would step forward and say ‘if you’re willing to give us an incentive we can potentially help you out here.’ I’m asking people that are smarter than me to do the math and they’re telling me that they don’t see without this deal happening that Vegas can activate some of its players. -Elliotte Friedman on NHL Network
It has to be frustrating for Vegas’ front office. The NHL is carefully working on a solution all the while the Golden Knights regular season continues without either Dadonov or Stone in their lineup. Not only that, management has to be prepared if the trade is voided. Will they throw extra incentives for another team’s assistance? They’re not in an envious position.
I do believe that Dadonov and his agent did file a list on time. I’ve had multiple people that’s accurate. There’s also a confirmation email out there. How did this trade get approved? They are not filed with central registry. Each team keeps a hold of them. I’ve now been told that it was filed properly and it was acknowledged. –Dreger on TSN Toronto
Even legendary hockey reporter Bob McKenzie came out of retirement to pile on Vegas’ latest snafu.
Every year it’s ‘we’re going for it, we’re going for it’ and that quest to go for it means they’ve had to make a whole bunch of decisions. Get rid of this guy, bring in Pietrangelo. Get rid of that guy, bring in Eichel. They keep going further down that road and they’re starting to be like every other team in the National Hockey League. Bad contracts and bad deals.-Bob McKenzie on TSN Toronto
Let’s be honest, most of this could have been avoided. Vegas’ front office have been a little cavalier with the $81.5M cap space the league allows them. Looking back, they probably didn’t need to acquire a 33 year-old with trade limitations.
And when it gets voided, man does that complicates things for the Vegas Golden Knights. They’re going to have significant cap issues. It’s not like the NHL and Player’s Association are the only two sides who are invested in this. You don’t think Dallas is paying attention? Or Nashville, Vancouver? –Dreger on TSN Toronto
Dadonov has scored 15 goals this season but he’s averaging his second lowest points per game in five seasons. The deal was unnecessary. Especially, if they had their eyes on Jack Eichel, whom had already requested a trade.
We’ve got the general manager’s meetings coming up in a week. Without question, this is going to be one of the primary discussions. –Dreger on TSN Toronto
Let’s hope the league has a resolution today so the organization can prepare for the next chapter.




THE hockey GOD
if Boris
1) repudiates Putin and the war in Ukraine
2) says he will accept the deal, now realizing he’s done in Vegas
3) and stops complaining about it
this all goes away.
If not,and NHL will rule against Vegas, I don’t see how he plays another game in Vegas. The FO voids his contract, say they were defrauded, and this goes further down the rat hole.
Richie-Rich
Actually, Putin must agree to withdraw from Ukraine and pay them damages. Then and only then does the deal go through! Oh, and they must release the WNBA star who got busted for drugs in her vape!
Mister Mister
Well she had drug in her vape, they are severe like China with drug, there no extradition between country. She’s a moron to have done it. She can pay the consequences
Richie-Rich
I am a libertarian at heart. If she wants to vape drugs, I am okay with it as long as she isn’t flying the plane or operating heavy machinery!
The REAL TS
But NOT in Russia! We accept weed here in some states… but, WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE THINKING?? She is in a WORLD of trouble there!
Richie-Rich
This one is easy for me.
You fire McCrimmon for not knowing. It’s his job. It’s his primary job.
The team can’t activate Stone because of this, jeopardizing the playoffs?
Bye Bye McIdiot.
Back to Juniors with you where you belong.
THE hockey GOD
nice article JAson, not I am puzzled too.
how could the VGK FO not know ?
how could the NHL approve the deal in first place?
I wonder what kind of “deal’ the NHL is looking at.
If VGK is stuck and Stone has to come off the injured list, and VGK is stuck in Sal Cap, then what happens ? Does VGK get penalized like they were last year but only this year they roster a game with ten players? What does NHL union and safety protocol have to say about that situation ?
If deal is voided, and NHL is at fault, will NHL compensate VGK ?
THE hockey GOD
now I am puzzled too
STEPHANIE
Haha agree
THE hockey GOD
just like my cousin vinnie, jerry Callo, or Gallo, court room
opine
“are you making a mockery of my court room ” Judge Chamberlain Haller.
The VGK FO and NHL/ player’s union/Boris and his agent are making a mockery of the BETTMAN NHL rules.
GOoD for them ! I SAY !
Chris
Based upon last week’s Goalie Interference, the answer is simple: Fire McCrimmon. VGK put Dadonov in McCrimmon’s place. VGK let Stone stand behind the bench. VGK becomes a Swiftian satire in full.
THE hockey GOD
@ Chris , should NHL be fired too because they approved the Boris trade in first place ??
MC
I am confused by a lot of the pundits comments as they seem to miss other details that have leaked out elsewhere.
There are reports from fairly credible sources that at the time of the trade to Vegas, Vegas and The NHL were told that Dadanov had not submitted his yearly list of teams and had, therefore, waived his right to block further trades. If that is the case, I am not sure why McCrimmon should be thrown under the bus.
Clicking on CapFriendly shows the existence of an NTC clause, but that doesn’t mean that the player exercised it in any given year. I think that Dreger is being a bit misleading in his quoted comment.
I am sure that everyone knew (and knows) that Dadanov’s contract has a 10 team no trade clause. Reading between the lines, the confusion seems to be that Ottawa was under the belief that no yearly list had been submitted and that his rights had been waived, conveyed information that may not have been accurate, and may have failed to disclose his no-trade list at the time of the trade to Vegas. It seems a bit unfair to attack McCrimmon if that is what transpired.
THE hockey GOD
@MC , you seem to hit it on nose. Elliotte Freidman said the same thing. The NHL registry, Sean McCloud of NHL registry, appears to have approved the trade. Eliotte further postulates that when this coming down Boris Badanov’s agent probably told VGK (and maybe Anaheim too) that Boris had NTC to Anaheim. And that VGK , and perhaps ana-slime) told the agent no he did not.
NHL approved it, if you and others are correct, I don’t see how anyone could fault VGK FO.
Ulf
Every one of those reporters (perhaps with the exception of Kypreos) has decades of experience analysing the business of hockey and have connections virtually everywhere in the league. They’re the top tier (excl Kypreos) of reporting the nhl.
We don’t know all the specifics yet but it’s smelling like Vegas is in trouble, mostly of their own making.
Herby
The Eichel deal that is the cause for all this mess will be remembered as one of the worst deals in NHL history. Eichel is probably the most overrated player in the NHL.
His TA/GA ration is not even average. How can you pay a guy so much money that give way more puchs away than he takes away????? Stupid!
THE hockey GOD
@herby, still has a ways to go to reach the 7 million year farce of franchise, as no. 9 has not shown propensity to blow big games, yet.
It’s not like I was on band wagon, at first I was. then one bumpy road after another on the train with line. no MAF repeatedly de railed the band wagon mentality.
Daryl
Or it could be worse and have a $5m nutcase who isn’t even able to play and when he dies, you know you will give up at least 1-2 soft goals a game… And has yet to win anything his entire time in the NHL
Galdom
At what point is it okay to say that Jack Eichel is not delivering. I always try to be fair. I know he hasn’t played much hockey in the past couple years. But he appears healthy, is skating well, the skill is on display every night. 11 points in 18 games is not what I envisioned. Dadonov who is a shithead was on his wing which wasn’t helpful. William Karlsson who I am now convinced is actually trying not to score is not helping. But Eichel has been playing with Marchessault, starts pretty much every shift in the offensive zone, gets all of the prime power-play minutes and is not really getting results. I really hope the production starts going up soon.
Back on William Karlsson , he is trying not to score. I’m only trying to be halfway funny. I think this is a bigger concern and mystery rather than the Dadonov no trade clause mystery. How do you play all of the minutes that Karlsson does with good linemates and not manage to have the buck bounce off your ass or even cash in on empty net tap ins. Could it be that there is something going on and none of us are aware of? A Scandal, a pay off. Karlsson just can’t be that inept offensively unless he is doing it on purpose.
In a season that means almost nothing anymore let’s promote one of the actual half way good stories this year and put Brett Howden on the top line with Eichel and Marchessault.
THE hockey GOD
@galdom, 71 is obviously not a winger
relax and have another cookie, on me.
Galdom
THG, Some highlights from the guy that we let get away that would have saved our season. This year‘s version. The second goal in particular will have you in stitches. He was 3 feet to the side of the net which is usually not a good place for a goalie to be, but luckily for him the shooter missed the entire wide open net by hitting the crossbar, But unfortunately for the Chicago Blackhawks and every unfortunate player on the ice who had to take a minus the puck bounced of the smiling Frenchmen and into the net.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x1Ngx69prNk
THE hockey GOD
@galdom TY , don’t show Gomer his wife,
I was not a MAF fan before he was playing with VGK.
I was big fan in his first year, soured a bit when he played lousy, I mean stinko in the FINALS. But I didn’t let that sway me. Then came the SJ series. Then rest of it I posted.
There are valid reasons why perennial contenders like VGK and PENS let him go. And it doesn’t have anything to do with his prankster jokes or clubhouse presence. (what ever that means).
Daryl
What has happened to VGK since they traded MAF??? Oh that’s right, it’s because of COVID and bad ice!!!
Vegas Baby
You and the hockey goddess are the prime entertainment on this site. Fleury lives in your heads rent-free. Must be killing you he is now on a team going to the playoffs. Good.
Daryl
I was really hoping to see Wild vs VGK but that doesn’t look like it will happen….
Galdom
Thank you Vegas Baby. Always happy to entertain.
Daryl
Maybe someone should worry more about stopping pucks than worrying about ladies in the stands…
https://youtu.be/0DOFyb9-u18
Daryl
And who could forget this???
https://youtu.be/RAqzN8v9ACY
Galdom
What a stud! I hope he nailed her after the game.
Daryl
After he got pulled she stopped talking to him… I guess backups weren’t her thing
Richie-Rich
Lehner is a fucking head case. Big mistake.
knights fan in minny
i hear about these cookies what kind are they
Richie-Rich
Unlike computer cookies, I will accept oreo and chocolate chip. Send express delivery please…..
THE hockey GOD
can you envision another scenario for anyone taking Russia seriously again ? yeah they have nukes, but that is about it.
Russia pariah nation. One guy ruins it for 140 million, what a putz. Should change his name to Vladimir Putz of
Mister Mister
Loll watching too much tv
THE hockey GOD
When the bell tolls three times on Monday afternoon, that’s it.
There is no leniency.
At the NHL’s headquarters in Manhattan, the clock on trade deadline day is monitored using the United States government’s official website. Any deal filed to the league by 2:59:59 p.m. ET is valid. One second later and the player(s) traded aren’t eligible for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It’s the one assignment NHL general managers can’t turn in late.
Amid the annual flurry of activity that is the final hour of TradeCentre, it’s amazing that no team has ever missed the deadline with a deal – at least not in the two decades that NHL senior counsel Daniel Ages has been on staff.
“We’ll get calls right up to the last second,” Ages said last week. “But not once 3 p.m. has elapsed. I don’t recall that happening before.”
Over those two decades, technology has changed immensely. Trades can officially be filed to the league by phone, e-mail and yes, still via facsimile.
The NHL actually makes sure someone is standing by the fax machine as the deadline nears, just in case a team decides to send in details of a trade under the wire. They aren’t yet set up to accept a trade over text message.
In the last 20 years, technology has also changed how the trade deadline is consumed. It has become a must-watch event for fans. The furious pace of activity has also made Deadline Day something like the Super Bowl for the NHL’s Central Registry, the group tasked with vetting, approving and finalizing every transaction.
Central Registry has processed an average of 20 trades over each of the last five Deadline Days, handling the paperwork to facilitate the changing of teams for an average of 38 players each year.
The NHL agreed to peel back the curtain on how Central Registry handles Deadline Day, a critical component to one of the days the spotlight is on the league.
A few days before the Feb. 25 deadline, the three men at the forefront of Central
Registry – senior vice president and managing Sean MacLeod, director Andrew Wilson and Ages from the legal team – will travel from Toronto to set up shop in New York.
They will park themselves on the 15th floor near NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, who will be available for consultation and to make necessary judgments in real time on any unique situations that may arise.
That group in New York will be in constant communication with a small army of league employees at Central Registry’s home base in Montréal, which handles all of the day-to-day transactions throughout the season, including registering contracts, waiver bulletins and claims, roster recalls and loans, trades, as well as salary cap calculation and compliance.
The key to making a trade before 3 p.m. is that every detail of the deal must be spelled out to the NHL before the deadline. Team X can’t simply send a buzzer-beater e-mail at 2:59:59 p.m. that says “Team X has a trade with Team Y.”
“All of the details of the trade need to be provided and confirmed before 3 p.m.,” Ages explained. “So if we get an e-mail, it has to set forth the players, the draft picks, the conditions, all of the important elements of the trade to confirm there’s a meeting of the minds. Whatever those details are can’t change when we then conduct a trade call.”
All of that information is sent to Montréal to be vetted. There is a laundry list of considerations to verify: sufficient salary cap room, sufficient room on the 50-man reserve list, roster limitations and requirements, possession of draft picks and whether no-trade protections are respected.
“It’s really a whole systematic process for Central Registry to confirm all of that before we can then begin a trade call with the teams,” Ages said. “Once we’ve done that, we’ll contact both teams for the trade call and confirm the terms of the trade to ensure that all conditions are clearly defined and agreed upon.”
Typically, a trade can take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to process – from the time it is filed to the league until the conference call is completed to finalize the deal.
But some trades are more complicated than others. Examples are language on draft pick conveyance conditions and salary retention shared by multiple teams. Signing bonuses and potential performance bonus obligations must also be announced to acquiring teams.
Sometimes the call can be delayed because a player who agreed to waive his no-trade clause must be tracked down to sign off. Because of that, some teams get the document signed before Deadline Day begins.
Last year, 12 of the 18 trades on Deadline Day were completed in the final hour. But there is a benefit in not waiting until the last second.
If there happened to be a misunderstanding between teams – or the deal is non-compliant – there would be no second chance to rework a trade after the deadline has passed. But if the deal had been completed at, say, 11 a.m., there would be time to amend it.
“We haven’t encountered any trade on Deadline Day that hasn’t been compliant with our rules,” Ages said. “But the details, all of them, need to be provided before 3 p.m., and they can’t change when we conduct the trade call after 3 p.m. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be considered a valid deal.”
Central Registry doesn’t simply close up shop once the deadline hits.
The NHL actually stops conducting all trade conference calls around 1:30 p.m. because the deals are beginning to be filed fast and furiously.
“We’ll just [record] the details of the trades as they come in and then they’ll be in the queue to be processed after 3 o’clock,” Ages said.
That means on any given Deadline Day, Central Registry is still processing trades until 4:30 or 5 p.m., well after the news about those deals has broken. They’ve stayed as late as 6 p.m., putting the final trade to bed to ensure another successful deadline is in the books for the team makes it happen behind the scenes.
“It’s exciting every year,” Ages said. “It is a relief when it’s done, but really all the heavy lifting is done between the teams, because they’re the ones working out these trades themselves.”
Contact Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @frank_seravalli
Richie-Rich
This just goes to show what a fucking jerk McKinnon is. I wonder if he has ever had a face-to-face discussion with a player regarding his roster status, either coming or going?
This putz is going to trade a $5 million dollar piece and not even discuss it with the player? How about the coach? Does he talk to the coach about it?
This loser needs to go back to junior hockey.
Treat the players like human beings. Before you make a trade let the player at least know that he’s being shopped. I think that is fair to the player.
THE hockey GOD
RR Elliott Freidman said it is likely that he did let DAdonov and his agent know, and they said they have NTC. AS I stated above, both ANAslime and VGK probably had discussions, according to EF. And they were told NO there is no NTC.
Remember , per both of my posts. THE NHL APPROVED BOTH DADANOV TRADES. To say this is on FO is premature at this state, projection, and gross assumption. And you know when you ASSume??
Have another cookie, those oreo cookies over there look pretty good to me.
THE hockey GOD
i knew there was an issue with BORIS BAD onov when he came to vegas , after years in NHL. Then he tells everyone, wait a minute that’s not my name it’s Da DON OV. What’s up with that nonsense. I watch a lot of games from visitor’s home team announcers and over half of them didn’t get the memo.
Today’s the day for another My Cousin Vinnie’s movie moment, it appears.
Judge Haller:
You’re a dead man.
Vinny:
I’m a dead man?
Judge Haller:
That’s right. I just faxed the clerk of New York and asked him what he knew about Jerry Gallo and do you wanna know what he replied?
Vinny:
Did you just say Gallo?
Judge Haller:
Yes, I did.
Vinny:
Gallo with a G?
Judge Haller:
That’s right.
Vinny:
Jerry Gallo’s dead!
Judge Haller:
[holds up fax] I’m aware of that!
Vinny:
Well I’m not Jerry Gallo! I’m Jerry Callo! “C-A-LLO!”
Judge Haller:
Alright. Let’s get this cleared up right now.
Galdom
Brilliant film
Galdom
It’s official. Dadonov trade is cancelled
https://www.tsn.ca/nhl-evgenii-dadonov-anaheim-ducks-vegas-golden-knights-1.1775521
Pistol Pete
I bet they gave some thought to renting Evander Kane. We’ll, they probably should have shouldn’t they have? That would have made the best line mate for Eichel ahead of Stone and Patch. They played together in Buffalo. Kane is controversial but very talented—big, physical and can score.
THE hockey GOD
NHL REVERSES COURSE
TRADE INVALIDATED , VGK IS SCREWED
waiting on who is to blame
DC
I bet Fleury added Vegas to his NTC.
Galdom
Evgeni Dadonov can still be traded after the deadline. You could still trade a player after the trade deadline but that player will not be eligible to play for the rest of the regular season plus playoffs.
But you would have to find another team that would actually want Dadonov and is on his trade list and if you were lucky enough to find that it would probably cost far more than the second round draft pick that was included in the Anaheim deal.
So it’s probably not even worth it anymore. You have to decide to keep what is now probably a very unmotivated player or trade him but give up something in the area of a first round pick.
sb
It’s pretty straightforward. Ottawa completed the trade with Vegas by using deception. At the trade call with Vegas and the NHL, Ottawa concealed the fact that Dadonov had submitted a no trade list. The original claim from Ottawa was that Dadonov had not submitted the list in time – July 1st. At the trade call, Ottawa concealed the existence of the Dadonov no trade list. Why? To get rid of Dadonov and his contract. It was an act of fraud. As of the day of the trade, neither Vegas nor the NHL had a copy of the Addendum no trade stipulation. The NHL didn’t know and neither did Vegas. This explains why on trade day the NHL initially validated the trade. No one except Dadonov and Ottawa had copies of the no trade list. Vegas didn’t know and neither did the NHL. Ottawa used fraud to get rid of Dadonov. The original trade of Dadonov for Holden should be invalidated because Ottawa engaged in contract fraud. That’s the way the law works.
Daryl
So OTT new VGK was going to try and trade Dadonov to ARI which is why they hid the NTC? But according to thehockeygoof, the VGK FO spoke to the Agent and was informed there was a NTC but they failed to follow up on that information
Galdom
You can’t invalidate the original trade. You can’t tell Nick Holden several months later t”he can’t be in Ottawa anymore after he probably bought a house there set up his family there, his kids go to school there, etc…..
Vegas should’ve done their due diligence. It’s like buying a home without getting a home inspection and then seven months later trying to get the previous owner to pay for something. They will tell you to shove it up your ass and there’s nothing you can do about it.