When the 36-year-old Evgenii Dadonov entered free agency, he knew his decision was vital. Despite playing 55 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs over the last three seasons, he has yet to reach the promise land and hoist Lord Stanley.
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By taking a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, the Russian forward, who scored 40 points for the Dallas Stars last season, is betting on the upside of their growing core. It certainly didn’t hurt his decision that the atmosphere at The Rock stood out amongst arenas he’s played at: “I always liked playing here,” he told The Hockey Writers. “You know, it always felt pretty awesome here. [It’s] unfortunate we start on the road, so we have to wait a little bit for that.”
Acclimating to New Jersey
Naturally, even for a forward playing on his fifth NHL team, moving and acclimating to a whole new environment can be tricky. “It took some time to get used to it,” he said. “But now I’ve been here for a while, and everything is good.”
Dadonov’s versatility will be a strength for the Devils, as he could move up and down the lineup when needed. He often spent time on Dallas’ top line with Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz last season, but also spent time in the middle and bottom-six, proving effective in all roles.
At the start of camp, Dadonov was tested right off the bat by being paired with Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes. “Those players can do a lot of things for you,” said Dadonov with a grin, before adding: “[I] just try to adjust to their game too. I try to feel their game.”
Given that he’s played with similarly talented elite forwards before, the adjustment shouldn’t be hard. According to NHL EDGE, Dadonov’s top skating speed of 23.05 miles per hour (MPH) was in the 96th percentile of all players to skate in last season’s playoffs. In fact, it’s actually faster than Bratt’s top speed (22.68 MPH) and not far off from Jack’s (23.33 MPH).
Mentor Role for Arseny Gritsyuk
In 2024-25, Dadonov had one single Russian teammate in Ilya Lyubushkin. Similarly, he’ll have just one this season: Arseny Gritsyuk. Dadonov is embracing a mentor role to Gritsyuk, who has recently moved halfway across the world to pursue his NHL dream after tearing up the Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
“I always knew a little bit about him, because I kind of follow up on the KHL. So, I knew what kind of player he is.” Dadonov said. “I told him, ‘Yeah, whatever you need, I can help. I’m always here.’ We have a good relationship now.”
They first met in person a few weeks before camp: at Dadonov’s place for a steak dinner. If you’ve followed up on Gritsyuk at all to this point, you’d know he’s a foodie and has quickly come to love many of New Jersey’s offerings, especially the breakfast options at New Jersey’s classic diners.
It wasn’t just a one-off; Dadonov invited Gritsyuk over a few more times, continuing to get to know each other better with each gathering. They quickly bonded, even going golfing with each other.
“I mean, [he was] pretty good,” said Dadonov. “That was his first time golfing ever. He was doing pretty well for the first time.”
With parts of 12 NHL seasons under his belt, Dadonov has shared valuable lessons, experiences and insights that could become key for Gritsyuk’s acclimation. “He’s great,” Dadonov added. “You know, he definitely needs some adjustment and time to get used to the NHL style. But I think he’s skilled enough and smart enough to get through this process quickly.”
Helpful Coaching Staff
While the responsibility of aiding such a promising prospect is important, Dadonov has had some acclimating of his own to do. Thankfully, the coaching staff has played a large role in helping that transition.
Fellow Russian Sergei Brylin, who is an assistant coach and previously won three Stanley Cups with the Devils, has given Dadonov another shoulder to lean on when getting used to the way the organization operates. “[Sergei] can explain [everything] in Russian, especially for Arseny right now, it helps a lot. It’s nice to have someone who can tell you things [in Russian]. It’s like a bonus,” said Dadonov.
Dadonov has also quickly grown to like head coach Sheldon Keefe, who has often spoken highly of his new veteran forward. “I didn’t know exactly what [to expect], but the first couple practices, I like the way he feels the team and drives the team,” explained Dadonov. “Practices have a lot of pace. I’m happy with everything.”
The 2024-25 Devils severely lacked depth scoring for most of the season; Dadonov’s 15 even strength goals would have tied Jesper Bratt for fifth on the team. If he’s able to repeat that production, plus other additions like Connor Brown and Gritsyuk succeed, the Devils are in a much better position.
