Bruins Receive Impressive Early Grade For Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway Trade

The Boston Bruins are winning both on and off the ice.

Boston has won eight-consecutive games dating back to Feb. 11, bringing their overall record to 47-8-5. In storming back to defeat the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, the Bruins put themselves on pace for 64 wins and 135 points, both of which would become new NHL best marks.

That’s what they’re doing on the ice. The moves that general manager Don Sweeney has made in trying to capitalize on a potentially historic season have been just as impressive. Just ask ESPN, who gave the B’s an A grade for their pre-deadline trade for Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway.

Here’s why, in ESPN’s own words:

That mindset is at the heart of this trade. The Bruins are a steamroller that just got lot more steam.

The heavy speculation was that player was going to be Vladislav Gavrikov of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who once again have managed to take a solid but unspectacular defenseman and build a robust trade market around him as a pending unrestricted free agent. When that deal didn’t materialize, the speculation turned to the Bruins working on something else. Which turned out to be this Capitals trade.

Patience is a virtue: Orlov is better than Gavrikov. Better offensively, around the same level of effectiveness defensively and with a truckload more playoff experience.

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Orlov, who potted his first two goals with the Bruins on Tuesday, has immediately made an impact on Boston’s lineup. His presence has allowed head coach Jim Montgomery to shuffle his defense and keep things fresh on the back end. Hathaway’s presence will likely be even more noticeable moving forward, as Nick Foligno could miss some time with a lower-body injury.

In a season full of pushing the right buttons, it appears as though Sweeney and the Bruins did it once again.