Dmitry Orlov will make his Hurricanes debut against the Capitals.Orlov was traded to the Boston Bruins last
February along with Garnet Hathaway after it was rumored that he was unable to reach an agreement on a new contract with the Capitals prior to the 2023 NHL trade deadline. Orlov expressed interest in re-signing with the Capitals after the season, but the team’s rival in the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes, ended up acquiring the rearguard due to Washington’s severe cap shortage.
The Washington Capitals selected Dmitry Orlov in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft, and he went on to play for the team for 11 seasons. The Russian defenseman developed a strong friendship with fellow Russian players Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov and played a significant role in the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup winning squad.
As the Caps and Canes get ready to play their first game of the season on Sunday night, Orlov will soon face his former teammates for the first time since moving to Carolina.
Following the team’s morning skate, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News tweeted out Carolina’s potential starting lineup.
Orlov will skate with defenseman Jalen Chatfield in the third pairing for the team. This season, the two have developed an incredibly productive pairing, and when they are on the ice, the Hurricanes dominate five-on-five play.
Carolina saw 62.9 percent of shot attempts, 61.5 percent of expected goals, 59.3 percent of scoring opportunities, and 56.7 percent of high-danger chances with those two blueliners over the board in a sample that lasted nearly 245 minutes. Out of all NHL pairings that have played at least 200 minutes together, the two have the third-fewest expected goals against per 60 minutes, according to MoneyPuck.
Orlov will play his second career game against his old team on Sunday. In April of last year, the Bruins defeated them 5-2, and Orlov skated 23:16 against them.
For the Hurricanes this season, Orlov has already appeared in 30 games and scored 12 points (1g, 11a). The least amount of ice time he has skated since 16:01 per game for the 2015–16 Capitals, he is currently playing on average 16:51 per game.
Orlov spoke candidly about the free agency process that brought him to Carolina this past offseason in a Russian-language interview with Sport Express, discussing the toll it took on him.
According to Google Translate, Orlov stated, “I didn’t know where I might be, so it’s been a stressful month.” “Thank God it’s over, because I now realize I’ll be playing for the Hurricanes for the next two seasons.” Good squad, which is why I selected it. I’m hoping for a successful next two years.
Upon being asked if Washington could be a potential suitor for his return, Orlov responded, “No one will know about this.”
In a separate interview, Orlov discussed his experience of being traded by the Capitals and whether he still harbors animosity toward the team on the Russian YouTube channel “Super League.”
Orlov stated, “I was in total shock,” according to the sports.ru translation. “I have a lot on my mind. Then I received a call from Boston, which is the general manager and coach. The move was a little complicated because they had a game and an away series that day. There were also some routine problems, and my family didn’t arrive for another month.
“I won’t be making any remarks [about Washington]. I believe I will discuss this with you later.
In the end, Orlov signed his first NHL contract outside of the Capitals in July, a two-year, $15.5 million deal with Carolina. After the 2024–2025 season, Orlov will once again be a free agent without restrictions.
