The Capitals signed Russian defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a three-year, entry-level contract on Wednesday. The deal is worth $2.13 million, according to the web site CapGeek.com and has a salary-cap hit of $710,000 through the 2013-14 season.
Orlov, 19, had a standout performance for the gold-medal winning Russian team at the prestigious World Juniors tournament in late December and early January. He posted a goal and eight assists in just seven games at that event and was named to the all-tournament team.
Orlov has also now played two full seasons with grown men in Russia’s KHL for Novokuznetsk Metallurg. He had two goals and 10 assists there this season, but has made it clear he wanted to come to North America as soon as possible.
“We’re pretty high on this player. He’s a mobile, puck-moving defenseman, really good on the power play and has a big shot,” said Caps general manager George McPhee, who resisted the temptation to deal Orlov or his other top prospects before the NHL trade deadline on Monday. “And he’s got an edge to him. He can hit, play tough and he really wants to be here. He’s made the commitment to be here and he’s been telling us for a year that he’s coming and he’s here. So good for him.”
Chosen by the Caps in the second round of the 2009 NHL draft – No. 55 overall – Orlov last week signed a amateur tryout contract with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, Washington’s top minor-league affiliate. He is ineligible to play for the Caps this season. But Orlov got to spend time last week in Washington because Hershey was playing a game in Canada and his visa status wasn’t in order. He practiced with the team twice and watched Friday’s game against the New York Rangers at Verizon Center.
The 5-foot-11, 202-pounder didn’t look out of place physically during the Caps’ practice last week. He’s clearly grown since rookie development camp last summer when he was still just 18. The reports from Hershey are already glowing. Orlov has a pair of assists in two games with the Bears. But don’t expect to see him in the District this season – no matter how well he does in the “A”.
“Well, he can’t play in the NHL this year based on the rules that we have in the league. But we expect that he’ll play a lot for [Hershey] the rest of this season and the playoffs,” McPhee said. “And we’ll see how that goes. But we got a report from someone that was at the game who said Orlov’s first period the other night was the best first period he’s ever seen from a 19-year-old in the American Hockey League. So that was pretty encouraging.”
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