NHL Notebook: Dadonov deal denied

Let’s recap some of the major NHL headlines from on and off the ice over the last week.

Golden Knights gaffe ends with voided trade

The NHL trade deadline came and went on Monday afternoon, but the drama extended another 48 hours thanks to an embarrassing blunder by the Vegas Golden Knights.

The team attempted to move forward Evgenii Dadonov and a future second-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks for injured defenseman John Moore and the contract of center Ryan Kesler, whose career is likely over. The trade would have granted the Golden Knights some much-needed cap space, with captain Mark Stone and defenseman Alec Martinez set to return off long-term injured reserve sooner rather than later.

But the NHL voided the pact on Wednesday, citing that Dadonov’s limited no-trade clause “had not been complied with.” Dadonov filed a 10-team no-trade list with the Ottawa Senators in June of 2021, one month before being traded to the Golden Knights, who were apparently informed that Dadonov did not submit the list on time and it was therefore invalid.

It seems that this awkward situation was avoidable, and that measures should be taken in the future to do so.

Wild go all-in

Perhaps the biggest name on the move on Monday was Marc-Andre Fleury, as the reigning Vezina Trophy winner was sent from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Minnesota Wild for a conditional second-round pick.

It was part of a handful of moves made by GM Bill Guerin, who has seemingly pushed all his chips to the middle of the table. The Wild also flipped goalie Kaapo Kahkonen and a fifth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Jacob Middleton, and brought in gritty forward Nicolas Deslauriers from the Ducks for a third-round pick.

Minnesota is currently +2000 to win the Stanley Cup.

Maple Leafs unveil reversible third jerseys

With relatively few exceptions, the Toronto Maple Leafs have stuck with their familiar blue and white color scheme for most of their 100-plus year history. But they broke the mold on Wednesday, when they wore a mostly-black alternate uniform designed by Justin Bieber-owned clothing brand Drew House.

What makes the jersey especially unique is that it's reversible. And although there are no plans for the “inside” design to be worn during a game, it could be seen during on-ice warmups in the future.

This jersey is not a one-off, as it's classified as a “Third Uniform.” By NHL rules, it must be worn no fewer than three seasons, and at least four times per season.

Doughty may miss rest of regular season

Los Angeles Kings fans were dealt more bad news on the injury front on Wednesday, as GM Rob Blake announced that defenseman Drew Doughty could miss the rest of the regular season with an upper-body injury. Doughty has been out of the lineup since March 7, and is currently one of eight skaters on the Kings’ injured reserve list.

Though the Kings currently sit second in the Pacific Division, a playoff berth is not a sure thing in the competitive Western Conference. L.A. is listed at +3000 to win the Stanley Cup.