Golden Knights hope to get offensive spark from Evgenii Dadonov

Goals have kept the Golden Knights from reaching the Stanley Cup Final each of the past two seasons.

They scored eight in five games against the Dallas Stars in the 2020 Western Conference Final. They had 13 in six games in the 2021 semifinals against Montreal, including nine in their last five.

The Knights decided something had to change. So they freed up cap space by trading veterans Marc-Andre Fleury, Ryan Reaves and Nick Holden and used a good chunk of that money to bring in right wing Evgenii Dadonov.

They’re hoping he brings some offense with him, especially on a power play that went 0-for-15 against the Canadiens.

“Dadonov’s going to be a big part of (improving) it,” left wing Jonathan Marchessault said. “Obviously, he was playing with amazing players in Florida, but he’s done the job. He was successful. He made their power play look better every time.”

Dadonov tried his hand at the NHL for three seasons as a young player before returning to his native Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. He came back for the 2017-18 season as an offensive force.

Dadonov scored 81 goals in three seasons for the Florida Panthers and was part of one of the NHL’s best power plays. The Panthers ranked sixth on the man advantage over that span with playmakers Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau helping Dadonov score 25 power-play goals, including a high of 11 in 2019-20.

No one scored more than six for the Knights last season.

“His whole career he’s been a good power play player,” said coach Pete DeBoer, who was in Florida for Dadonov’s first stint. “I’m confident he’s going to help us out.”

The Knights believe that because Dadonov, 32, is a different weapon than they’ve had in the past. He typically plays the bumper position on the power play in the slot between the two faceoff circles. There his lightning-quick release has a chance to get pucks past goaltenders before they realize he’s shooting.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever played with a guy who’s as comfortable in the middle as (Dadonov),” captain Mark Stone said. “He kind of sees the play well, sees everything develop, which makes it a lot easier for everyone else. You have a guy in the middle who’s a huge threat, it opens up seams, it opens up little plays, it opens up high plays.”

Dadonov’s acquisition wasn’t without risk. While general manager Kelly McCrimmon said the Knights’ pro scouting staff views Dadonov as being “an engine on a line,” he had only 13 goals and 20 points in 55 games for Ottawa last season.

His 51.96 shot attempts percentage, fourth best on the Senators among skaters who played more than five games, provides evidence he was being held back on a team that finished last in the North Division. Last year was also difficult for him personally because his family didn’t join him in Ottawa, and Canadian restrictions kept him largely to his apartment and the rink.

The Knights are hoping a new year and better supporting cast can bring back the finisher from Florida. They’re invested in that being the case, as Dadonov has two years and $10 million remaining on his contract.

“It’s one of the best teams in the NHL right now,” Dadonov said after the trade. “Every year they’re a competitive team.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.