Veteran forward Evgenii Dadonov has signed a one-year with the New Jersey Devils. Dadonov spent the last two and a half seasons with Dallas, becoming a reliable veteran player who could fill gaps as needed along each of the team’s four forward lines.
He was an underrated player on Dallas’ roster, and now the Devils will reap the benefits of his game and hard work.
New Jersey Signs Veteran Forward Evgenii Dadonov
This ain’t Texas. This is Jersey. pic.twitter.com/oCGT3ubx83
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) July 1, 2025
Dallas acquired Dadonov via trade, sending defenceman Denis Gurianov to the Montreal Canadiens at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. At the time, Dadonov was at the end of a bad contract, and Montreal agreed to retain half his salary after he had amassed just 18 points in 50 games. Yet, Dallas ended up with the better end of the deal. Gurianov played just 23 games with Montreal and has appeared in just 18 since (with two other teams).
Meanwhile, Dadonov was reunited with head coach Pete DeBoer, for whom he previously played in Vegas. The forward returned to form rather quickly in Dallas — tallying 15 points in 23 games. Over the next two years, Dadonov became a vital part of the Stars’ lineup, often filling holes on the third and fourth lines and occasionally playing top-six minutes when shake-ups became necessary.
While not traditionally known as an offensively driven player, Dadonov had his first 20-goal season since his time in Vegas, scoring 20 goals and adding 20 assists for Dallas during the 2024-25 campaign. He was a major part of keeping Dallas afloat while managing injuries to Jason Robertson. Mason Marchment, Tyler Seguin, and others on the top two lines, adding a couple critical multi-goal games. The most notable was a hat trick against the Pittsburgh Penguins near the end of the regular season
Evgeny Dadonov, signed 1x$1M by NJ, is a veteran depth winger. He’s still reasonably speedy, passes the puck well, and contributes off the rush, but his ability to push play in the right direction is in doubt. #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/dyip7O8dTe
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2025
What It Means
At 36, Dadonov is likely nearing the end of his career, but he has still demonstrated the ability to be a productive and versatile player. He will contribute some offence to the bottom six of the Devils.
Main Photo: Terrence Lee- Imagn Images
