The San Jose Sharks signed free agent defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year contract with a $6.5 million cap hit on Thursday, a league source told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.
The veteran defenseman is a well-rounded presence on the blue line, capable of handling a heavy workload. Orlov has averaged approximately 20 minutes of ice time throughout his 13-year NHL career, and hit that mark almost exactly this past season for the Hurricanes. He had six goals and 22 assists in 76 regular-season games, plus four more assists in the playoffs.
The 33-year-old defenseman has finished with a positive plus-minus rating in 12 of his 13 seasons, and has topped 20 points for 10 straight years. He’s not the most dynamic with the puck but is a steady puck-mover with strong durability, especially at 5-foot-11. Orlov missed only six out of 190 total games with Carolina over the last two years while blocking 120 shots and laying 217 hits.
Unfortunately for Orlov, one of the lasting memories of his 2024-25 campaign will be him crushing his stick across the goal post after a poor performance by he and his Hurricanes teammates against Florida in the Eastern Conference final, but the Russian blueliner’s lengthy resume supersedes that disappointing end to the season.
(Photo: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)