For defenseman Dmitry Orlov, playing against his former team in the Washington Capitals never gets any easier.

Then, this past year, seeing the turnover on the roster, including the departures of John Carlson and Nic Dowd, was even harder.

Orlov reflected on the Capitals and Ovechkin in a new interview with Sport24, saying that D.C. still means a lot to him.

"That's 12 years of my life in the U.S., it brings back fond memories for me," Orlov said, per a DeepL translation. "That said, there aren't many guys left on the team I used to play with. Once (Alex Ovechkin) leaves, only (Tom) Wilson will be left. I never thought that (John) Carlson, for example, would move to Anaheim and then sign with Tampa Bay. And when Ovechkin leaves, an entire era will come to an end."

Orlov, who now plays with the San Jose Sharks, said that he's happy to see Ovechkin back for another year. The two had dinner together when the Sharks visited D.C. last season, and Orlov didn't get a sense that Ovechkin was ready to leave.

Now back for another season, his former teammate is hoping to see Ovechkin continue to establish his legacy.

"I had a feeling that he was more likely to stay than to leave. Sasha took some time off and saw that the team was getting stronger. The team owes him a lot after so many years of his career," Orlov said. "It’s a win-win for everyone that he’s staying to play. This incredible story continues. It’s a remarkable achievement, to play your entire career for one team, win the Stanley Cup and break the all-time record. I’m confident he still has the strength to play."

For Orlov, now 35, it was exciting to be a part of that story.

"Later on, it’ll be cool to sit back and remember that you played alongside such a great hockey player, against equally great players like (Sidney) Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin," Orlov said. "When they’re gone, it’ll be sad that it’s all over.