The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $7.75 million.
The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $7.75 million.
The biggest name on the free agent market is officially off the board.
The Carolina Hurricanes made a massive addition to their blueline on Saturday, agreeing to terms with defenseman Dmitry Orlov on a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $7.75 million.
The deal ties Orlov to Carolina through the 2024-25 season and puts the defender in line for a big pay bump when the salary cap is expected to rise significantly.
And just like that, the rich get richer.
The Hurricanes were one of the best teams in the entire NHL last season and just added a legitimately top-pair defender, with Orlov coming off a campaign in which he racked up seven goals and 29 assists for 36 points in 66 games for the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins while logging nearly 23 minutes in average nightly ice time.
With Orlov officially in the fold, the future of fellow defenseman Brett Pesce now hangs in the balance as the 28-year-old enters the final year of his contract and will command a major raise on the $4.25 million he currently makes. With Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, and Brady Skjei each in need of extensions of their own ahead of 2024-25 as well, there simply won't be enough room to keep everyone around. And Orlov's new cap hit might have just bumped Pesce out the door.
Stay tuned. More moves are continuing to roll in.