Dmitry Orlov is headed to the Western Conference for the first time in his NHL career.
The 33-year-old former longtime Washington Capitals defenseman signed a two-year, $13 million contract with the San Jose Sharks on Thursday morning. Orlov played the last two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes after joining them in free agency during the 2023 offseason.
Included in Orlov’s contract with the Sharks is a full no-trade clause in the first year and a 15-team no-trade clause in the second. Orlov has been traded midseason once during his career, when the Capitals shipped him and Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins at the 2023 trade deadline.
Orlov recorded 28 points (6g, 22a) in 76 games for the Hurricanes last season. The Russian rearguard played in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup with the Capitals during the 2018 postseason. He recorded four points (4a) in 15 playoff games before the Florida Panthers eliminated Carolina.
With his two-year deal, Orlov is the lone defender on the Sharks’ NHL roster to be signed past next season.
The 2025-26 campaign will be Orlov’s 14th in the NHL, and if he plays the majority of games in both seasons with the Sharks, he’ll hit 1,000 career games. He is currently sitting at 867 games played, recording 327 points (76g, 251a).
