Ottawa Senators: Grading Pierre Dorion’s 2020 Off-Season Moves

Evgenii Dadonov signed for 3 years, $5 million per year

Why it made sense at the time: Dadonov has been one of the most consistent goal scorers in the league the past three seasons, putting up 28 goals in both 2017-18 and 2018-19 before scoring 25 in an abbreviated 69 game season last year. At $5 million a year, he didn’t cost the team a ton and is the type of player who seems like he’ll be a great complement on the second line for Ottawa when/if they turn the corner and become contenders. Beyond his skillset, his signing was a welcome change for a fanbase that has become all too used to seeing high-end players leave town.

How it looks so far: Dadonov has scored at a slightly slower pace so far for Ottawa but has shown signs of his high-end ability, including scoring both the tying and winning goal in the 6-5 comeback win over Toronto. When he’s on, he’s looked every bit the player Ottawa hoped he’d be when he was signed, but he’s also looked invisible for long stretches at a time. Given his past proficiency, one would hope the peaks are more indicative than the valleys, but at 31 it’s always possible for a skilled player like Dadonov to lose a step and have the game pass them by.

Grade: B+, even if Dadonov isn’t the player Ottawa hoped he would be, his cap hit is still reasonable as long as he doesn’t completely fall off.