Dmitry Orlov was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft and went on to play in 11 seasons for the team. The Russian defenseman was a major part of the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup winning team and formed a close bond with fellow Russian stars Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov.
Orlov, after reportedly being unable to come to terms on a new contract with the Capitals before the 2023 NHL trade deadline, was dealt to the Boston Bruins last February along with Garnet Hathaway. After the season, Orlov stated that he still had interest in re-signing with the Capitals, but with Washington lacking significant cap space, the rearguard ended up moving on to the team’s Metropolitan Division rival, the Carolina Hurricanes.
Orlov will soon come up against his former teammates for the first time since joining Carolina, as the Caps and Canes prepare to face off for the first time this season on Sunday night.
The Hockey News’ Ryan Henkel tweeted out Carolina’s prospective lineup after the team’s morning skate.
Orlov is slated to skate on the team’s third pairing next to defender Jalen Chatfield. The two have formed a tremendously successful pairing this season with the Hurricanes dominating five-on-five play while they are on the ice.
In an almost 245-minute sample, Carolina saw 62.9 percent of shot attempts, 61.5 percent of expected goals, 59.3 percent of scoring chances, and 56.7 percent of high-danger chances with those two blueliners over the boards. Per MoneyPuck, the two have the third-fewest expected goals against per 60 minutes among all NHL pairings who have played at least 200 minutes together.
Sunday’s game will be Orlov’s second career outing against his former team after skating 23:16 against them in a 5-2 Bruins win in April of last season.
Orlov has already gotten into 30 games this season for the Hurricanes, recording 12 points (1g, 11a). He is playing on average 16:51 of ice time per game, the least he has played since skating 16:01 per game for the 2015-16 Capitals.
This past offseason in a Russian language interview with Sport Express, Orlov was open about the free agency process that brought him to Carolina and how it took a toll on him.
“It’s been a stressful month because I didn’t know where I might be,” Orlov said, as translated via Google Translate. “Thank God, it’s over, now I understand that I will play [with the Hurricanes] for the next two seasons. Good team, that’s why I chose it. I hope I have a good two years ahead.”
When pressed on if Washington was a contender in bringing him back, Orlov said, “No one will know about this.”
In another interview on Russian YouTube channel “Super League”, Orlov described what it was like to be traded by the Capitals and if he holds any resentment towards the club.
“I was in complete shock,” Orlov said per sports.ru transcription. “Lots of thoughts in my head. Then I got a call from Boston, the coach and general manager. They had an away series and a game that day, so the move was a little complicated. In addition, there were some everyday issues and my family arrived only a month later.
“I will refrain from commenting [on Washington]. I think I’ll tell you about this sometime later.”
Orlov ended up signing a two-year, $15.5 million contract with Carolina in July, his first NHL contract not signed by the Capitals. That deal will expire after the 2024-25 season and Orlov will be an unrestricted free agent once again.
