Hurricanes Sign Dmitry Orlov to 2-Year Deal

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year deal worth just under $16 million, according to Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff.

Orlov played 760 regular-season and playoff games over 11 seasons with the Washington Capitals before moving to the Boston Bruins ahead of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline.

Orlov on the Blue Line

Orlov became a key cog on a defensive unit that helped Washington become a perennial playoff team throughout his tenure. He finished with 289 combined regular-season and playoff points in a Capitals uniform from the 2011-12 season through March of the 2022-23 season.

Only John Carlson and Matt Niskanen logged more total ice time among Capitals skaters during the 2018 playoff run that resulted in their only Stanley Cup in franchise history. Orlov scored two goals and added six assists in 24 games during the memorable stretch that rewrote the narrative of Alexander Ovechkin’s career with the Capitals.

Related: 2023 Free Agency Tracker

The Russian blueliner experienced an offensive resurgence after joining the record-setting Presidents’ Trophy champions in March 2023. He tallied 17 points in 23 regular-season games for Boston after scoring just 19 in 43 games with Washington before the trade. He also became a contributor on both special teams units, a role that had faded by the end of his tenure with the Capitals. Orlov finished the opening round with an impressive eight assists in a stunning seven-game series loss to the Florida Panthers. 

Fit with Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have added a player that Alex Chauvancy ranked third on The Hockey Writers’ list of top 30 NHL unrestricted free agents (UFAs). Only Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarsenko topped him. The 5-foot-11, 214-pound lefty will join a loaded blue line next to Brent Burns, Jaccob Slavin, and Brady Skjei. Tony DeAngelo is also likely to reunite with his former team in Carolina.

Head coach Rod Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes have established themselves as Stanley Cup contenders with five consecutive playoff appearances and two Eastern Conference Finals appearances. However, they’ve followed up first-place finishes in their division in three consecutive seasons with disappointing playoff exits. The move to bring in a high-priced defenseman is an indicator of a continued aggressive approach to get over the hump and back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006.

Orlov signed a six-year deal with the Capitals in 2017 that carried a $5.1 million average annual value (AAV). The market for free-agent defensemen likely increased the number for Orlov’s contract with the Hurricanes. After big names like Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson moved in trades before the draft, only blueliners like Shayne Gostisbehere, Ryan Graves, and Carson Soucy remained on the open market.

The average annual value (AAV) just under $8 million is a steep cost for a player who will turn 32 years old before the season begins. However, the Hurricanes minimized the risk by agreeing to just two years of term.