The Bruins became an even bigger threat in the NHL after general manager Don Sweeney made a huge pre-deadline deal with the Capitals.
Boston acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals, and it also acquired the rights to Andrei Svetlakov from the Minnesota Wild, who were part of the trade to retain 25% of Orlov’s salary.
The Black and Gold had very few holes on the roster, but those blemishes were cleaned up with the acquisitions of Orlov and Hathaway.
However, the trade was a blow for the Capitals, who are two points behind the Detroit Red Wings in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, as of Friday.
“It’s sad. Great teammates, good friends, good players,” Alex Ovechkin said after a 4-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, per NoVa Caps’ Jon Sorensen “That’s hard … it’s a business, it’s life, so I wish them luck and we have to move on.”
Defenseman Nick Jensen added: “It’s tough. That aspect of hockey is really hard. Guys in this room, we go through all the highs and lows that is hockey. We’re like brothers in here. When you see guys no longer showing up in the locker room together, it’s definitely hard and it can be somewhat of a distraction. It’s part of the game, and it’s something you got to move on from.”
Orlov comes to the Bruins with experience in the playoffs having won the 2017-18 Stanley Cup with the Capitals, and Hathaway has plenty of local connections in New England that surely will make him a quick fan favorite.
