The NHL has reversed course on punishing the Ottawa Senators for a botched 2022 trade involving winger Evgenii Dadonov. Instead of forfeiting their 2026 first-round draft pick, the Senators will now select last (32nd overall) and pay a $1 million Canadian dollar fine to the NHL Foundation Canada.

The original penalty stemmed from a cancelled trade between Vegas and Anaheim that violated Dadonov's no-trade clause. The NHL initially ruled in 2023 that Ottawa must surrender a first-round pick in one of the next three drafts, but the team had already used selections in 2024 and 2025, leaving only 2026.

After appealing for leniency, the Senators cited major organizational changes since the incident, including new ownership under Michael Andlauer and a new general manager replacing Pierre Dorion. The NHL agreed that the current regime shouldn't bear responsibility for past mistakes, marking the second time in a dozen years the league has reduced draft-pick forfeiture penalties.