Bruins Free Agent Dmitry Orlov Signs Deal With Hurricanes

Former Bruins defenseman Dmitry Orlov is heading to the Hurricanes on a two-year, $15.5 million deal.

“We felt that Dmitry was the best available defenseman on the free agent market,” Carolina general manager Don Waddell said in a team-provided press release on Saturday. “He is a versatile player with a lot of offensive upside, and this signing only strengthens our defensive group heading into next season.”

Orlov was traded to Boston along with Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals in February in exchange for Craig Smith and multiple draft picks.

The 31-year-old tallied 36 points with seven goals and 29 assists over 66 combined games with the Bruins and Capitals last season. Orlov recorded four goals and 13 assists in 23 games with Boston as well as a plus-10 rating during the regular season.

The Athletic considered Orlov the top unrestricted free-agent defenseman on the market heading into Saturday.

With the Bruins up against their salary cap, it was unlikely Orlov and other unrestricted free agents would be returning to Boston. General manager Don Sweeney noted that moves would have to be this offseason to account for the cap space.

“We have a busy week next week,” Sweeney said following the NHL Draft on Thursday, per team-provided video. “We still have some talks (to add to our) current club.”

Orlov adds to an already strong Carolina team that is a contender for the 2024 Stanley Cup.