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The Dallas Stars are currently playing in the Western Conference Finals for the third straight season. While the Dallas Stars are focused on trying to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, soon they will be focused on the offseason. The Stars have multiple high-quality free agents. We look at the three best destinations for Dallas Stars center Evgenii Dadonov in this 2025 NHL Free Agency season.
Dadonov has one of his best seasons in a long time in 2024-25. He scored 20 goals while adding 20 assists. This is the most points he has had in a season since his 2021-22 season with the Vegas Golden Knights. While not at the same production level as he had in Florida, Dadonov has proven to be a high-quality second or third-line forward.
Still, the Russian forward will be 37 years old by the end of the next season. He has played in the NHL since the 2010 season, and played in the KHL and AHL before that. He has yet to win a Stanley Cup, and 51 of his 55 career playoff games have been with the Dallas Stars. In the twilight of his career, Dadonov will be looking to move to a team that could provide him with Cup aspirations.
Dadonov returns to Dallas
Dadonov could return to Dallas if he gives them the right price. The Stars need team team-friendly deal. Currently, they are projected to have just $4.5 million in cap space heading into next season. Jamie Benn comes off the books, and the Stars may look to re-sign him as well. Still, Mikko Rantanen and Jake Oettinger take large pay bumps this year, and it may be difficult for Dallas to re-sign Dadonov. Still, Dadonov might want to come back to Sallas. He is coming off his first 40-point season since the 2021-22 season.
Dadonov currently pairs with Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn on the third line. If Dadonov is looking to stay with a contending team, this may be the perfect spot for him. Johnston was third on the team in points its the past year, while Benn was sixth. This gives the Stars three full lines of scoring, plus enough defense to keep contending in the Western Conference.
Dadonov joins a contender
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If Dadonov wants to leave Dallas and still be on a contender, the Florida Panthers may be a perfect fit. First, the Panthers are just one game away from their third straight Stanley Cup Finals. This clearly places the Panthers in the category of yearly contenders to win the Cup. The Panthers have plenty of solid forwards, but Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand are both free agents.
Dadonov could be a solid replacement for Marchand. While he does not play the exact same style of hockey as Marchand, Dadonov is a versatile forward who can both score and play solid defense. Marchand has been a better scoring option than Dadonov. He has over 60 points in four straight years, and in 11 of the last 12 games. Still, Dadonov could be a cheaper option for the Panthers. The Panthers are expected to have just $19 million in cap space, according to Cap Wages. Marchand is expected to command over $5 million of their expected cap space, while Dadonov is expected to bring in just $3.25 million. If the Panthers want to keep some similar production while saving money, Daonov could be a solid option.
Dadonov joins a fellow Russian
The Capitals may need to replace third-line forward Andrew Mangiapane, and Evgenii Dadonov could be a solid replacement. Mangiapane has shown to be a solid middle-six forward. This past year, Mangiapane made $5.8 million, fourth among Capitals forwards. It was also more than Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas, both of whom had better production than Magiapane. He has just 37 points this past year, and Dadonov could be a solid replacement at a lower price. First, the Capitals are expected to have just $12.225 million in cap space this year. This means they will need to make the most of their contracts. If they can get Dadonov at a discount, he would be a solid replacement for Andrew Mangiapane.
Further, Dandonov would provide production to the third line that was not present for the Capitals. While Tom Wilson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Connor McMichael all spent time on the third line this year, and all were more productive than Dadonov, most of the time they all joined together on the third line. That made Mangiapane the top-scoring option on the third line. Further, while Dadonov and Alex Ovechkin do not have a lot of experience together, last playing together in the 2019 World Championships, playing with one of the best Russian-born players of all-time will be a draw for Dadonov.
