Bruins: 3 Likely Free Agent Destinations for Dmitry Orlov

The Boston Bruins won’t be able to afford to keep Dmitry Orlov around for next season and he’s likely looking for a 4-5 years deal worth north of $5 million after the strong performance this season. Not only is he a solid defender, the veteran proved just how good he can be offensively. While I don’t expect him to score at the pace he did in Boston, I am now expecting 40 points out of him for at least next season on whichever team he signs.

Washington Capitals

Orlov had a blast in Boston during the regular season and got to get another taste of the playoffs while many of his old teammates didn’t, but the thinking is he didn’t really want to leave Washington. He consistently played his role very well for years and spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Capitals.

While the right side of the Capitals defense looks strong and filled with veterans, the oldest projected left defenseman is just 23 years old. The team has Martin Fehervary, Rasmus Sandin, and Alexander Alexeyev, and although they are all players who should be in the NHL, it’s hard to think Washington will get back to the playoffs with that young of a defensive group manning one side. There’s still a few good years left for the Capitals, so they will likely think about bringing Orlov back if he wants to and worry about the better development of their young defensemen after that.

Los Angeles Kings

One of the main objectives of this offseason for the Los Angeles Kings is to move some pieces around defensively and get a top-four left defenseman. Their first option right now is Vladislav Gavrikov as they are already able to discuss a contract extension. But from back when he was in Columbus earlier this season, he stated that he intends to test free agency this summer.

Related: 4 Bruins 2023 Offseason Cap Dump Options

There will be a number of teams interested in Gavrikov if he does hit free agency, just like there will be for Orlov who has more upside offensively, but is also older. Orlov has been all the way to the Stanley Cup before and might be looking to add a bit more experience and a veteran presence to the young team. They have a couple of veterans who have also won the Cup with the Kings, but for the most part, they are a young team. Orlov would be a solid addition to the back-end and help Drew Doughty and Sean Durzi add some more offense.

Florida Panthers

While it’s hard to criticize a team that has done this well in the playoffs, the regular season was not smooth sailing. They had very limited cap space and a number of players on cheap deals were forced to fill the lineup. Marc Staal is one of them and the 2LD is a spot the Florida Panthers will be set on improving.

The defense of the Panthers will not be very old next season, especially if Staal and Radko Gudas are both gone. Their oldest defenseman will be Brandon Montour who is 29. Orlov can add that presence and also provide strong defense in front of this Panthers team that appears to be more focused on keeping the puck out of the net with Paul Maurice behind the bench.