Golden Knights send Dadonov to Ducks; deal reportedly in dispute
The Vegas Golden Knights traded Evgenii Dadonov and a conditional second-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman John Moore and Ryan Kesler's contract, both teams announced Monday.
However, the trade is in dispute, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The deal was a buzzer-beater and its announcement ended up getting delayed. It's believed one factor contributing to the holdup was that the NHL didn't have Dadonov's no-trade list on record, per TSN's Darren Dreger. Anaheim was reportedly on his list, but the teams and league weren't aware.
Vegas tweeted that it's been informed of an issue with the trade and is consulting with the league office.
The NHLPA is in contact with the league and investigating the situation, according to Dreger.
Dadonov, meanwhile, is adamant he submitted his no-trade list on time, per Friedman.
Dadonov signed his current contract with the Ottawa Senators and his 10-team no-trade list was supposed to be submitted by July 1, 2021, which was just one week before Ottawa traded him to Vegas, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger.
If the deal stands, Anaheim will also receive Vegas' second-round selection in 2023 or 2024.
Dadonov has 15 goals and 12 assists in 62 contests this season, his first with the Golden Knights. The 33-year-old is signed through the 2022-23 campaign and carries a $5-million cap hit.
Anaheim acquired Moore on Saturday in the trade sending blue-liner Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins. Moore has suited up in just seven NHL games this season - all with the Bruins - and has one assist. The 31-year-old is signed through 2022-23 and is a veteran of 544 NHL games.
Kesler, 37, hasn't played since 2019 and is on long-term injured reserve. This season is the final on his contract, which carries an average annual value of $6.875 million; it won't count against the Golden Knights' salary cap.
Between shedding Dadonov's salary and potentially burying Moore's $2.75-million cap hit in the AHL, the Golden Knights cleared $3.375 million in cap space, per Granger.
Dadonov was selected by the Florida Panthers in the third round of the 2007 draft. He has 249 points in 397 career NHL games.