Evgenii Dadonov Trade Between Ducks, Golden Knights Invalidated by NHL

It appears that Evgenii Dadonov isn't going anywhere after all.

The NHL announced Wednesday that it has invalidated the trade that would have sent the veteran right winger from the Las Vegas Golden Knights to the Anaheim Ducks. The league cited the limited no-trade clause in Dadonov's contract, saying it "has not been complied with."

The Golden Knights released a statement after the trade was voided, saying, "The Vegas Golden Knights recognize the league's decision and welcome Evgenii back to our club."

Anaheim also issued a statement on the ruling:

The Ducks had a deal in place to acquire Dadonov and a conditional second-round draft pick from the Golden Knights in exchange for defenseman John Moore and the contract of forward Ryan Kesler.

According to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, Vegas announced just a few hours after the trade was completed that it had "become aware of an issue with respect to the trade. We have been consulting with the league office."

Wyshynski noted that Anaheim is on a 10-team no-trade list that Dadonov submitted after signing his contract with the Ottawa Senators in October 2020. But when the Golden Knights traded for him last July, the team was not made aware of the trade protection in Dadonov's deal.

Dadonov has recorded 27 points in 62 games this season. Vegas attempted to move him as a way to shed some salary, as the 33-year-old counts for a $5 million cap hit in the second year of his three-year deal.

The Golden Knights (34-28) will be looking to end a two-game skid when they return to action Thursday against the Nashville Predators.