The National Hockey League expanded to 32 teams back in 2021, and since that point, we’ve seen the player base around the world continue to grow, with more and more young talent entering the league year after year as competition for every single spot in the league becomes tougher.
What that also means is there are plenty of players that simply can’t find themselves a spot in the league, and whether that comes after a lengthy career or struggling to crack a roster, this has seen many former NHLers depart the league for Europe. With so many leagues in Europe, the depth of competition around the world continues to grow, and now it appears a former Montreal Canadiens forward is set to follow suit and depart the NHL for the KHL in Russia.
Evgenii Dadonov Drawing Interest in Europe
GettyEvgenii Dadonov with the Montreal Canadiens.
While he hasn’t played for Montreal since the 2022/23 season, veteran winger Evgenii Dadonov had a memorable one year stint with the Canadiens, and over his lengthy 12-year career, he also played for the Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars and, most recently, the New Jersey Devils.
In amongst that career however, the 37-year-old Dadonov has also spent significant time in the KHL, playing parts in six seasons for three different teams, and now, at least one of those teams are circling. According to Artur Khairullin, several teams in the KHL are showing significant interest in Dadonov, and given how little traction a new deal as a free agent in the NHL has garnered, the best path forward for him is likely to head back to Russia.
This past season, Dadonov signed a one-year deal with the Devils, but in 24 games with the team, he tallied just one goal, showing how far he’s fallen after being a significant asset in the top-six in years gone by for several different teams.
Could Dadonov Remain in the NHL?
While his production with the Devils left much to be desired, Dadonov wasn’t put in a position to succeed, and given that he posted 20 goals and 40 points the year prior with the Dallas Stars, there’s clearly still a very productive player in there.
On top of that, there’s plenty of teams out there looking for top-six help, and while teams aren’t going to line up to hand a 37-year-old a key position on their team, as a depth piece that could potentially step up and play top-six minutes, there’s several teams out there that could do a lot worse than Dadonov.
Ultimately though, given that he drew little interest last summer and was not given much of a role in New Jersey while remaining unsigned heading into August this off-season, all signs are pointing towards a departure from the National Hockey League and North America, and with several teams in Russia showing interest, he could still get paid in a big way.
Former Canadiens Winger set to Depart the NHL for Europe