We might see one last blockbuster trade this season, even with trade deadline behind us.
- The Golden Knights have got themselves into a precarious salary cap position.
- Having seemingly traded Evgenii Dadonov to the Ducks at Monday's NHL trade deadline, reports suggest the deal is likely to be retroactively voided by the NHL.
- Dadonov's no trade list includes the Ducks, reportedly for tax reasons. The problem was, neither the Golden Knights nor the NHL seemed to know this when the trade call took place. Lost at some point along the way was the fact that Dadonov had filed a valid no-trade list in 2021 (while he was a Senator) which gives him veto power over a deal to Anaheim. And reports suggest he's not willing to let it slide.
- So how can the Golden Knights, who need to erase Dadonov's salary to activate several key players, including potentially Mark Stone and Alec Martinez, possibly get out of their salary cap debacle? If the trade with Anaheim is vetoed, they still have options.
- Dadonov's no trade list includes the Ducks, reportedly for tax reasons. The problem was, neither the Golden Knights nor the NHL seemed to know this when the trade call took place. Lost at some point along the way was the fact that Dadonov had filed a valid no-trade list in 2021 (while he was a Senator) which gives him veto power over a deal to Anaheim. And reports suggest he's not willing to let it slide.
- So how can the Golden Knights, who need to erase Dadonov's salary to activate several key players, including potentially Mark Stone and Alec Martinez, possibly get out of their salary cap debacle? If the trade with Anaheim is vetoed, they still have options.
- They could put someone likely to get claimed on waivers. But that's not ideal, especially if you're talking about a quality player like Reilly Smith. And that's assuming teams with cap space want to make the claim in the first place.
-Instead, they could trade Dadonov. Yes, even after the NHL trade deadline is passed, there's nothing stopping them from trading him. You can trade players after the deadline; they just can't play any NHL games this year.
- Rumblings suggest the Arizona Coyotes are ready to step up and take on Dadonov's contract. Arizona's tax situation is a lot better than California's, making this deal more palatable for Dadonov financially. It just means his year might be over. A decision on the Dadonov deal with Anaheim is expected in the next day or two. Stay tuned.
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