Hurricanes sign top free agency target, Dmitry Orlov, to two-year deal
© Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports - Hurricanes sign top free agency target, Dmitry Orlov, to two-year dealThe Carolina Hurricanes have signed former Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year, $15.5 million contract.
If you wanted the Hurricanes to be active in free agency this year, then this is the move for you, as Orlov was one of the top UFA targets.
In the Russian defenseman, the Canes are getting a solid, two-way puck mover who has put up solid results for multiple seasons now, and on top of that, he has Stanley Cup champion pedigree
Despite being listed at just 5-foot-11, he has a solid frame at 215lbs and can bring heaviness and physicality to the lineup.
He's elite transitionally with the puck and gets it to his teammate's tape with regularity. He isn't the prototypical Carolina defenseman, but he can add another fold to the Canes' elite blueline.
While his contract may seem like a slight overpay AAV-wise, that was the tradeoff for the short-term which keeps Carolina from committing too much cap space for too long.
This deal maximizes the Hurricanes' current window and leaves wiggle room at the end to not be handcuffed by the deal.
Hurricanes GM Don Waddell stated earlier in the offseason that free agency was "the second most dangerous day in hockey," but he's apparently unafraid of it now as he's made quite the splash.
Here's the team's official press release:
‘CANES SIGN ORLOV TO TWO-YEAR CONTRACT
Defenseman has tallied 273 points in 709 career NHL games
RALEIGH, N.C. – 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 2024-2
“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.