Knights fans cheer Evgenii Dadonov after ‘stressful couple days’

The Golden Knight who was almost gone received an ovation before puck drop Thursday.

He got another one after the game. And several during it.

Left wing Evgenii Dadonov, traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday only to see the deal voided, received a loud welcome back to T-Mobile Arena from fans eager to give him support after what he called a “stressful couple days.”

Dadonov kept the adulation going by recording his second three-point game of the season in the Knights’ 6-1 win over the Nashville Predators. The fans and his teammates did all they could to make him feel welcome again after he almost left the franchise.

“It was obviously kind of an unusual situation we faced as an organization, and I thought the crowd responded well to making sure he’s welcome here,” left wing Jonathan Marchessault said. “He just keeps doing what he does best and giving us a chance to win hockey games.”

Dadonov said the Knights told him he was being traded an hour before Monday’s deadline. The team wanted to move him to Anaheim to clear salary cap space for this season and next.

The only problem: The Ducks were on Dadonov’s 10-team no-trade list. He even checked after he learned of the deal to make sure.

The NHL still mistakenly processed the trade, and Dadonov was stuck waiting to see what would happen. It wasn’t until Wednesday that the league voided the deal and he was returned to the Knights.

It was an awkward situation, but Dadonov wants to make the best of it. Coach Pete DeBoer said Dadonov, whom he coached in Florida, couldn’t have handled it any better.

“(I’m) trying to be a pro,” Dadonov said. “(I’ve) been around in the league and understand every decision. (I’m) not really mad. (I) just have my rights and just was waiting.”

Dadonov showed an impressive ability to push forward Thursday. A day after the trade was voided, he was at the morning skate getting ready for a game with the team that tried to flip him.

He was part of the starting lineup and received a huge cheer when his name was announced. Then, he went out and performed.

The forward scored a power-play goal in the second period to give him five goals in his past five games. He was mobbed by the other four Knights skaters on the ice as soon as his celebration was over. Goaltender Logan Thompson said it’s the loudest he’s heard fans at T-Mobile Arena cheer for a goal.

Dadonov also assisted on goals by center Jack Eichel and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. It was enough to earn him the game’s second star and another round of applause.

“He’s been really hot lately,” right wing Nicolas Roy said. “Unbelievable. It’s nice to have him back for sure.”

The only question is how much longer Dadonov will stay with the Knights. The team could attempt to trade him again this season even though the deadline is past. But he would be ineligible to play in any regular season and playoff games the rest of the season.

The Knights could try to trade him in the offseason, too. Their salary cap constraints aren’t going away. But Dadonov didn’t want to dwell on that after his spectacular performance.

“(It’s) out of my hands,” he said. “I don’t know. I’m just happy to play now and will go from there.”

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