The NHL lets Ottawa keep its 2026 first-round pick, now 32nd overall, after a 2021 oversight, with a $1 million fine and no-trade rule.

The NHL has modified its penalty for the Ottawa Senators, allowing them to keep their 2026 first-round draft pick but selecting 32nd overall, the final spot in the first round, due to a 2021 oversight involving Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade clause. The team must pay a $1 million fine to the NHL Foundation Canada and cannot trade the pick. The adjustment followed a request citing new ownership and management, with all teams drafting after Ottawa moving up one slot. The original penalty stemmed from Ottawa’s failure to disclose Dadonov’s 10-team no-trade list, which led to a voided trade between Vegas and Anaheim in 2022.