Ottawa Forfeits 2026 1st Round Pick due to rejected Dadonov trade

The Ottawa Senators are forced to forfeit their 2026 first round pick.  This is due to a penalty imposed by the NHL for a "botched deal" involving forward Evgenii Dadonov. The penalty stems from how the Senators handled Dadonov's no-trade clause in his trade to the Golden Knights. The Senators will needed to decide which year to forfeit the pick by 24 hours after the draft lottery for that year. They did not forfeit the 2024 or 2025 pick, therefore the 2026 pick will be forfeited. It is possible that the NHL amends the penalty and returns the pick to Ottawa, but so far no change to the originally announced penalty has been shared publicly.