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The Bruins landed the defenseman they have been seeking ahead of the 2023 NHL trade deadline.
Boston on Thursday acquired Dmitry Orlov from the Capitals, less than an hour after it was announced the Russian would be held out of Washington’s game against the Ducks for “trade-related reasons.”
Forward Garnet Hathaway was also sent to Boston in the deal. The Bruins sent forward Craig Smith and three draft picks to Washington.
NEWS | The Washington Capitals have acquired a 2023 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, 2024 third-round pick and forward Craig Smith from the Boston Bruins in exchange for defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway.
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 23, 2023
The Capitals are retaining part of Orlov’s cap hit, and so are the Wild. Minnesota is receiving a fifth-round pick from Boston to take on some of Orlov’s money.
Orlov, 31, has 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 43 games played this season. He also has 62 blocked shots and 88 hits while averaging 22:43 time on ice. He will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
The Bruins are in the driver’s seat to win the Presidents’ Trophy for the best record in the NHL. They had 91 points (43-8-5) entering Thursday’s play, seven more than the second-place Hurricanes. After the Orlov acquisition, one of the best defensive teams in hockey is even scarier ahead of the postseason.
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The Sporting News has complete details of the trade.
Dmitry Orlov trade details
- Bruins receive: D Dmitry Orlov, F Garnet Hathaway
- Capitals receive: F Craig Smith, 2023 first-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, F Andrei Svetlakov
- Wild receive: 2025 5th-round pick (Bruins)
The Bruins were shopping for a defenseman for quite some time. They were rumored to be heavily interested in the Blue Jackets’ Vladislav Gavrikov, but when it became known that Orlov was available, Boston was one of many teams to call Caps general manager Brian MacLellan.
Orlov upgrades the Bruins’ top two defensive pairings. He’s a mobile defensemen who can move the puck well, but he also has more size than Matt Grzelcyk or Connor Clifton.
Boston’s top four is now Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Carlo and Orlov. He’ll play on the left alongside either McAvoy or Carlo.
Hathaway is perfect for the Bruins’ bottom six. He adds grit and snarl to a team that is notorious for being a hard team to play against because of its physicality. He’s also a pending UFA.
The Capitals get to stock up on picks in this deal, including an extra first-round pick for the loaded 2023 draft class. Smith is an unrestricted free agent this summer and had been rotating in and out as the Bruins’ 12th or 13th forward.
Dmitry Orlov contract details
Orlov is in the final year of the six-year, $30.6 million contract he signed with Washington in 2017. His cap hit is $5.1 million this season. The Capitals are retaining 50 percent of the hit and the Wild are taking on 25 percent.
The veteran is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Given Boston’s cap situation, it is very likely that he won’t re-sign and will instead hit the market.
Read the full article here
