Dmitry Orlov was looking for a “fresh start” in his NHL career and thinks he has found one with the San Jose Sharks.
The 33-year-old defenseman, who signed a two-year, $13 million contract on July 3, said he needed to turn the page after playing the past two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, with whom he signed as a free agent on July 1, 2023.
“When I signed in Raleigh you expect one thing. When [your play is not] showing up or the coach is not believing you, and it’s always the bottom [pair],” Orlov said. “Everybody has their own story and own career. So I learned on my way, and I just need to be more focused as an older guy, more experienced. I expect one thing, but you need to just focus day by day, basically. You cannot look too far. It’s what I did, and I think it was a mistake.
“Right now, it’s a new chapter, a new fresh start for me with a new team, a young team, too. So it’s going to be a new experience for me.”
Orlov, who won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2017-18 and has been to the postseason the past 10 seasons with the Capitals, Boston Bruins and Hurricanes, understands that the Sharks are a work in progress, building around a young core of players, including forward Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
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