“If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that
there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.”
-- Epictetus
By the time Dmitry Orlov was taken by the Washington
Capitals in the second round with the 55th overall pick, 19
defensemen had already been selected.
Fast forward nine years, and Orlov has played in more games (365) than
13 of those 19 defensemen, scored more goals (30) than 13 of them, has more
points (124) than 14 of them, and has a better plus-minus (plus-53) than 17 of
them.
Orlov established himself in 2017-2018 as a defenseman
capable of getting top pair minutes, teaming with Matt Niskanen to make a
formidable top pair for the Caps. It was
a huge step up in terms of ice time for the sixth-year defenseman in
2017-2018. His average of 23:08 per game
was second on the club. A lot of that
increase, (3:32 per game more than his previous best, in 2013-2014) was a
product of his getting 1:59 per game killing penalties. 1:26 more than his previous
high average in his rookie season in 2011-2012.
His even strength ice time (19:59 per game) also rose by almost a full
minute from his previous high (19:00 in 2013-2014).
His taking on a heavy workload carried over into the
postseason, where he averaged 24:12 a game, almost three minutes more than his
next highest average (21:25 in 2017). He
recorded his first two career playoff goals and recorded twice as many points (2-6-8)
in 24 postseason games than he did in 24 career postseason games before this
season (0-4-4).
Odd Orlov Fact…
2016-2017…2017-2018. 82 games…82 games. 125 shots…125 shots. 4.8 percent shooting percentage…8.0 percent
shooting percentage. That is why Orlov
had six goals in 2016-2017 and 10 goals in 2017-2018.
Bonus Odd Orlov Fact…
Both of Dmitry Orlov’s postseason goals were “first goals,”
one opening the scoring in the Caps’ 6-3 series-clinching win over the Columbus
Blue Jackets in the first round, and the other being the game’s first goal in
the Caps’ 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the Eastern
Conference final.
Double Bonus Odd Orlov Fact…
Dmitry Orlov was thaken with the 55th overall
pick in the 2009 entry draft. That has
been an especially popular overall draft slot for the Caps over the years, six
players having been drafted in that slot in team history. Orlov is one of five players taken with that
pick to play in the NHL and one of three to dress for more than 350 NHL games
(Bengt Gustafsson and Torrie Robertson being the others).
Fearless’ Take…
Dmitry Orlov was the only Capitals defenseman with more
credited takeaways (54) than giveaways (51) last season. He was second in hits (128), third in blocked
shots (116), second in shots on goal (125), second in shot attempts for
percentage at 5-on-5 (49.54). He was not
just contributing at the offensive end of the ice, and he managed to do it all
while coloring inside the lines. He took
only 11 penalties in 82 games. Only 19 of
86 defensemen in the league appearing in at least 75 games took fewer penalties.
Cheerless’ Take…
If Dmitry Orlov could have done the damage to other
divisions that he did to the Metro, what a season it would have been. He had six goals on 45 shots (13.3 percent)
in 28 games (0.21 goals per game).
Against everyone else he had four goals on 80 shots (5.0 percent) in 54
games (0.11 goals per game). And big
workloads were not always a good thing.
In 27 games in which Orlov skated more than 24 minutes, the Caps were
13-10-4.
Potential Milestones…
- 400 career games (he needs 35)
- 100 assists (he needs six)
- 500 shots on goal (he needs 49)
- 7,000 minutes (he needs 42)
The Big Question… Is “First Pair Defenseman” a permanent
role for Dmitry Orlov?
Dmitry Orlov getting top minutes on a Stanley Cup winner
might not have been what one might have envisioned when he was drafted in the
second round of the entry draft in 2009.
It might not have been envisioned in 2016-2017 when he was fourth in
average ice time among defensemen playing the entire season with the club
(fifth if you include Kevin Shattenkirk’s 19 games). However, he played more than 26 minutes in
the Caps’ season opener last season and never looked back, skating less than 20
minutes only once in 82 games in the regular season and only once in 24 games
in the playoffs.
But it is not as if Orlov exploded on the scene in
2017-2018, either. He has become a quite
durable defensemen, despite losing a chunk of his early career development to
injury. This was his third consecutive
season appearing in every game, one of only five defensemen in the league to do so. He also has become, if not a top-drawer
offensive defenseman, at least a reliable one, scoring 29, 33, and 31 points
last season in those three years.
In the end…
It is easy to underestimate the season Dmitry Orlov had in
2017-2018. For instance, since
1997-1998, only 28 defensemen taken in the second round appeared in 60 games
and averaged more 23 minutes per game at least one season. Orlov's 2017-2018 season is one of them. As an aside, given the lack of success the
Caps had with defensemen taken in the second-round in the years immediately
preceding Orlov’s pick (Eric Mestery, Theo Ruth, Josh Godfrey, and Keith
Seabrook, none of whom ever played in an NHL game), Orlov’s ascent to the top
pair is rather amazing.
Orlov heads into the 2018-2019 season having largely
justified the six-year/$30.6 million contract that he signed last summer. It has been a long time coming, especially
with the bumps along the way early in his career, but as he enters his tenth
season since being drafted by the Caps, time invested has been worth the effort. He enters his prime years as one of the important
elements in the Capitals’ success and a player they will have to depend on to
maintain that success.
Projection: 82 games, 9-22-31,
plus-8
Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images North America
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