NHL voids Dadonov trade to Ducks, citing violation of no-trade clause

The NHL on Wednesday invalidated the trade at the deadline of Evgenii Dadonov by the Vegas Golden Knights to the Anaheim Ducks, citing a failure to comply with the conditions of the forward’s no-trade clause.

In a release, the NHL stated the trade could not be completed because the no-trade clause in Dadonov’s contract was “not complied with.”

Evidence emerged on Tuesday that there was correspondence proving the no-trade paperwork at the core of the trade dispute was filed correctly and on time, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, adding to the uncertainty over whether or not a deal between the Golden Knights and Ducks would go through.

At the centre of the issue is a no-trade clause in Dadonov’s contract which, as Friedman reported on Monday, says Dadonov cannot be traded without first being allowed to submit a 10-team no-trade list. The contract also stipulates the list for the year had to be submitted by July 1, 2021.

Dadonov was traded to Vegas from the Ottawa Senators on July 28, 2021. Friedman reports that on that trade call, the Golden Knights and NHL were led to believe the no-trade protection had expired or was not filed properly, making Dadonov eligible to be traded anywhere – including Anaheim, which is believed to have been one of the clubs Dadonov did not want to be dealt to.

The circumstances around the clause and whether or not it was properly disclosed were disputed shortly after news of the trade broke, with the Golden Knights saying they had “become aware of an issue” with respect to the trade and were consulting with the league office.

The Golden Knights put out a statement after the NHL’s decision welcoming Dadonov back to the team.

The full deal had Dadonov and a conditional second-round pick in 2023 or 2024 going to Anaheim for AHL defenceman John Moore and the contract of Ryan Kesler.

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek also put out a statement.

“We respect and accept the decision made today by the NHL with regard to our trade with Vegas on Monday,” he said. “Evgenii Dadonov is a player we thought could help our team this year and beyond. We will move forward and welcome John Moore to our organization once he’s healthy and ready to return.”