"Why I inherited this is beyond me": Senators owner Michael Andlauer slams NHL's prolonged ruling in Evgenii Dadonov situation

The new owner of the Ottawa Senators, Michael Andlauer, slammed the NHL for taking too long to invalidate a trade involving Evgenii Dadonov in 2021.

After ruling out Dadnov's trade, the NHL announced on Wednesday that the Ottawa Senators would forfeit a first-round pick in either 2024,2025, or 2026 drafts and will have a period of "24 hours" after the conclusion of the Draft Lottery that year to make their decision.

The Sens dealt the 34-year-old veteran forward to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021.

The Knights attempted to trade Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks a year later. However, the league ruled the trade invalid because the Sens failed to inform the team about the player's 10-team no-trade list, which also included the Ducks.

Notably, Michael Andlauer took over ownership of the Senators in September of this year, and the NHL was well aware of Dadonov's trade prior to Andlauer's arrival.

While speaking to the media on Wednesday, the Sens' new owner appeared to be frustrated by the NHL's lengthy decision on Dadonov. He slammed the league, saying:

"You have to ask the NHL why it took a whole year since the hearing. It was a two-day hearing, a 73-page report. It's not something that's just a slam dunk. I know the commissioner had a lot of time to deliberate on it and think about it. But why I inherited this is beyond me. There's no reason for it to last that long."

As per reports, Michael Andlauer was made aware of the NHL's probe into Evgenii Dadonov's trade before agreeing on the terms to purchase the club in June. However, the club's previous ownership informed him about Dadonov's situation to be a 'non-issue.'

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The Ottawa Senators release GM Pierre Dorion

The Senators parted ways with GM Pierre Dorion after the NHL punished them for Evgenii Dadonov's botched trade by forfeiting their first-round picks in the upcoming drafts.

Club owner Michael Andlauer announced hockey operations manager Steve Staios as the club's new interim general manager. Dorion took over the role of the Sens' GM in 2016 and became the eighth general manager in the franchise's history. He served in the position for more than seven years.

The Ottawa Senators have now suffered two major blows this season. Earlier, unrestricted free agent Shane Pinto was punished by the league for his involvement in sports gambling. They handed him the 41-game suspension and made him the first modern hockey player to be banned for sports gambling.

The Sens (4-4) are placed in the last place of the Atlantic Division with eight points. They will be next up against the LA Kings (5-2-2) on Thursday, November 2. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET.