For most of the past three years, the Senators and their fans have been bracing themselves for the loss of an upcoming first-round draft pick. And for much of this season, it looked like this was going to be the year.
After former management failed to disclose that Evgenii Dadonov had a 10-team no-trade list when trading him to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021, the league came down hard on the Senators, docking them a first-round draft pick. It was something they would have to forfeit in either 2024, 2025 or 2026.
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Many Senators fans were steamed with the Golden Knights for lobbying the league as hard as they did to penalize Ottawa for what had happened. After all, the punishment didn’t help the Knights at all, and it’s not like they lost the asset. They successfully traded Dadonov to Montreal a few months later.
Now, a little over a month away from the NHL Draft, in a stunning turn of events, it’s suddenly Vegas that will lose a 2026 draft pick, not the Senators.
Two months ago, after considerable lobbying of the league by the Senators, the NHL agreed to take their forfeited draft pick off the table. They amended the penalty, giving the club back a first-round pick, although it will be 32nd overall, while insisting on a $1 million fine.
Meanwhile, it’s Vegas that will suddenly have to give up a pick this summer.
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The league punished the Knights on Friday for their behaviour following the clinching game against the Ducks on Thursday night. Head coach John Tortorella, who needs to be the centre of controversy as badly as he needs oxygen, declined to speak with the media after the game and the Ducks did not open the dressing room to reporters.
As a result, the NHL announced Friday that, because of “flagrant violations” of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs media regulations, the Knights will forfeit a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, while Tortorella was fined $100,000.
Apparently, for the Knights, this was not a first-time offence. The league’s press release went on to say that the penalties came after previous warnings had been issued to Vegas regarding compliance with media regulations and other associated policies. The Knights will have the chance to appeal at the commissioner’s office in New York next week.
They did make two players, Brett Howden and Mitch Marner available to the media. Before taking questions, though, Marner warned reporters he would have to wrap things up within 10 minutes for fear that Tortorella would order the team bus to leave without them.
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And it was truly hard to say if he was kidding or not.
It’s possible this was a protest or statement, similar to what the Barrie Colts did the night they advanced to the OHL Final. In that case, after the Colts were told they couldn’t have the whole team in on the media availability, head coach Dylan Smoskowitz and captain Kashawn Aitcheson answered every media question by saying, “Nobody cares. Work harder.”
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Knights post game behaviour was also a protest.
“I guarantee you that thing last night was in reaction to the McNabb suspension,” Friedman said on Friday, guesting on The FAN Hockey Show. “They were really upset about it.”
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Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb was suspended for one game for his late hit that injured Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Poehling during Game 5 of the series.
A second-round pick and $100,000 fine is a pretty damn expensive protest, especially when you consider that McNabb’s one-game suspension (for Game 6) was now over.
Whether it was a protest or not, how could a Senators fan do anything but chuckle at all of this?
I mean, imagine that. It’s Vegas that will lose a pick in next month’s draft and not Ottawa. For Sens fans, the irony is delicious.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:
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Our One-On-One With Senators Winger Drake Batherson
Senators Defenseman Goes From 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs To Signing In Switzerland
Rasmus Ristolainen: A Deeper Look Into A Potential Senators Trade Target
What’s The Plan For Senators UFA Lars Eller?
Archive: The Year Erik Karlsson Became Ottawa’s First Norris Trophy Winner At 22
Read the full article here
