Dmitry Orlov gets huge two-year deal from Carolina Hurricanes
Dmitry Orlov just got paid.
The former Capital and top defenseman available on the free agent market, signed a big, short-term deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. The 31-year-old inked a two-year contract with the 2023 Metropolitan Division champions worth $7.75 million per season.
The news was reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Orlov 2x$7.75M in Carolina — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2023
At the end of the season, Orlov was hoping to come back to either the Boston Bruins or the Capitals.
“I don’t know,” Orlov said on Breakdown Day. “I need to talk to (Bruins’) coaches or GM. I don’t know. Right now, (I’m) dark, what I’m going to do. I don’t know. I still don’t know what my plan is.”
He added later of a possible reunion with the Capitals, “We’re going to talk to my agent. How I see, if they trade me, I don’t think it’ll work out, but we’ll see.”
Both the Bruins and Capitals were essentially capped out and could not afford the defenseman, giving Orlov free rein on the free agent market where he was a coveted player. Orly joins a young and talented Hurricanes team that is becoming an Eastern Conference power.
Bolstering the blue line 👊 The #Canes have signed defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year contract. https://t.co/zLXTsAPoQW — Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) July 1, 2023
Orlov’s signing comes after he and the Capitals could not come to terms on a contract extension ahead of the 2023 trade deadline as reports surfaced that the Novokuznetsk native was looking for a longterm deal. GM Brian MacLellan proceeded to flip Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins. Orlov gave the Capitals the first-round pick that they then sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs for 23-year-old Rasmus Sandin.
Over the last decade, Orlov was one of the Capitals’ best and most consistent defensemen. Primarily used as a shutdown defender, Orlov is a good puck mover who has started to show more offensive flair. Orlov scored a career high 12 goals with the Capitals in 2021-22 and hit a new career high in points (36) in 2022-23 with the Capitals and Bruins combined.
Orlov paired with Matt Niskanen during the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup championship run.
Congrats, Dima, and good luck in Carolina. (But not too much!)
Here’s the full press release from the Hurricanes:
Canes Sign Orlov To Two-Year Contract
Defenseman has tallied 273 points in 709 career NHL games RALEIGH, NC. – Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed defenseman Drmitry Orlov to a two-year, $15.5 million contract. The deal will pay Orlov an average-annual value (AAV) of $7.75 million per season through 2024-25. “We felt that Dmitry was the best available defenseman on the free agent market,” said Waddell. “He is a versatile player with a lot of offensive upside, and this signing only strengthens our defensive group heading into next season.” Orlov, 31, registered 36 points (7g, 29a) in 66 NHL games with Washington and Boston last season, posting career highs in assists and points. The 5’11”, 214-pound blueliner has posted 273 points (64g, 209a) in 709 career NHL games with the Capitals and Bruins. Orlov has posted at least 20 assists in seven of his last eight NHL seasons. He won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Capitals in 2018, recording eight points (2g, 6a) in 24 games during that run. The Novokuznetsk, Russia, native has represented his home country at the IIHF World Championships five times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021), winning gold once (2014) and bronze three times (2016, 2018, 2019). He also represented Russia at the 2010 and 2011 IIHF World Junior Championships, winning gold in 2011, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Orlov was drafted by the Capitals in the second round, 55th overall, of the 2009 NHL Draft.
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
Source: Russian Machine Never Breaks
