Dmitry Orlov was an excellent addition to the Boston Bruins roster last season, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be back for the 2023-24 campaign.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told reporters Tuesday in Nashville — the site of this week’s 2023 NHL Draft — that Orlov is unlikely to be re-signed.
This update is not a surprise.
Orlov is arguably the top unrestricted free agent in the 2023 class. He’s a legit top-four defenseman with an impressive two-way skill set (especially offensively) and Stanley Cup-winning experience. The 31-year-old veteran is going to be a coveted player, and it’s perhaps his last chance to sign a lucrative long-term contract.
The Bruins are in a salary cap crunch with more than 10 of their own players eligible to hit free agency Saturday when the market opens. Boston has just $10.9 million in cap space after Monday’s Taylor Hall trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Bruins cannot afford to bring back everyone, and since they already have good depth on the blue line, it makes more sense to re-sign an important forward like Tyler Bertuzzi than a defenseman such as Orlov.
The Bruins acquired Orlov, along with bottom-six forward Garnet Hathaway, as part of a trade with the Washington Capitals on Feb. 23. He tallied 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 23 regular season games for the B’s, in addition to eight points (zero goals, eight assists) in seven games against the Florida Panthers during the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup. Playoffs.