“There is no short cut to achievement. Life requires
thorough preparation - veneer isn't worth anything.”
-- George Washington Carver
With ten seasons, 643 regular season games (second among active Capital defensemen), and 74 career postseason games (second among active Capital defensemen), Dmitry Orlov might qualify as a “grizzled veteran.” Not that it has been an easy path to get there. After playing 60 games in his 2011-2012 rookie season and going 3-16-19, plus-1, he bounced up and down in his sophomore season between Washington and Hershey, playing only five games for the Caps. Then, after coming back to play 54 games for the Caps in 2013-2014, he lost his entire 2014-2015 season to a broken wrist.
What followed that lost season has been impressive. In seven seasons since that lost season, Orlov played in all 82 games in four consecutive seasons and has gone 51-155-206, plus-97, in 524 games, that plus-minus number being seventh-best among all NHL defensemen over that period. And the 2021-2022 season might have been Orlov’s best of all, performed in an understated manner characterized by consistency and a reflection of experience.
Fearless’ Take… 12 goals, a career high. 35 points, a career high. Plus-25 rating, second highest of his career (plus-30 in 2016-2017). 10 even strength goals, tied a career high (10 in 2017-2018). Two power play goals, a career high. Four game-winning goals, a career high. 127 shots on goal, a career high. 0.46 points pr game, a career high. On ice for 81 goals at even strength, a career high. Plus-24 goal differential at even strength, second best of his career. 3.54 blocked shots per 60 minutes, second best of his career. The Caps were 10-1-0 when he scored a goal, 20-3-2 when he recorded a point. They were 14-3-6 when he skated at least 22 minutes. They were 12-4-0 when he posted at least three shots on goal. 9.5 percent shooting, second best of his career. And look at the points progression on that table of tens – remarkably consistent. It makes an argument that he was the Caps’ best all-around defenseman this season.
Cheerless’ Take… The Caps were 8-5-5 when Orlov was credited with at least three hits. He took 22 penalties, second highest of his career and was a minus-5 in net penalties (drawn to taken); his 22 minutes taken were second-most of his career, and his minus-0.19 net penalties per 60 minutes was fourth worst of his career.
Odd Orlov Fact… Orlov was one of four defensemen in the league to post at least 10 goals, at least 35 points, a plus-minus of at least plus-25, and record a shooting percentage over nine percent. The others were Victor Hedman, Cale Makar, and Justin Faulk.
Odd Orlov Fact II... Orlov is one of two Russian defensemen in NHL history to post at least 50 goals in his career, at least 200 points, and at least a plus-100. The other is Sergei Zubov.
Odd Orlov Fact III… 22 defensemen in Caps history posted 15 or more career goals. Of that group, Orlov has the second-highest percentage of game winning goals to total goals (14 GWG of 57 goals, 24.6 percent). Only Ken Klee has a higher percentage (11 GWG of 43 goals, 25.6 percent).
Game to Remember… April 16th at Montreal. When the Caps headed north to Montreal in mid-April for their last meeting of the 2021-2022 season, they were heading into what was, for them, friendly territory. Dating back to November 2009, the Caps had a 16-1-2 record at Bell Centre. Compounding the situation, the Caps were playing for seeding in the playoffs while the Canadiens were on their way to finishing with the worst record in the league and the third-worst Canadiens club in team history by points percentage. Washington scored first in the 13th minute of the game on a goal by Nic Dowd, redirecting a shot by Orlov from the top of the offensive zone. Montreal tied the game less than two minutes into the second period, but the Caps regained the lead at the 8:03 mark when Anthon Mantha got on the board, this time with Orlov providing the secondary assist.
The Caps pulled out to a 4-2 lead through two periods, but the Canadiens made things interesting with a goal less than three minutes into the third period to pull within a goal. Garnet Hathaway scored less than a minute after that Montreal goal, and just over a minute later, Orlov ended the competitive portion of the evening when he outdueled a Canadien defender for control of the puck in the right wing corner, skated up the wall and circled out to the middle of the ice where he snapped a shot that beat goalie Sam Montembeault to make it a 6-3 game. Orlov earned his third assist and fourth point of the game five minutes later when he set up Justin Schultz in the left wing circle for a shot that deflected of the stick of defender David Savard to make it 7-3. The Caps went on to win, 8-4. For Orlov, it was his first career four-point game.
Game to Forget… March 18th at Carolina. It is not often that a game to forget comes in a win, but when a team wins in spite of a poor performance by a key player, you might want to just forget it. Such was the case when the Caps visited Carolina in mid-March. Carolina scored first, but the Caps came back with a pair of goals to take a 2-1 lead. The Hurricanes then scored a pair of their own to take a 3-2 lead through two period. Washington tied the game on a power play goal by Alex Ovechkin with just over five minutes left in regulation to force overtime. After a scoreless extra frame, the teams went to the freestyle competition where Ovechkin won it in the third round on the only goal scored by either team. Although the Caps won, 4-3, Orlov had what was, for him, an off night. He was on ice for all three Carolina goals, and despite four shots on goal and five shot attempts, he failed to record a point. It was his only road game all season in which he posted three or more shots and finished with a minus-rating.
Postseason… The 2022 postseason might have been Orlov’s worst in seven trips to the playoffs. He had one point (an assist) in the six-game opening round loss to Florida,and while he did preserve his record of having recorded at least one point in each of his seven trips to the postseason, he finished a career-worst minus-4 and managed only three shots on goal, a career low for a postseason.
Looking Ahead… Orlov will enter 2022-2023 in the walk year of a contract that carries a $5.1 million salary cap hit, after which he will be an unrestricted free agent. Of 12 defensemen age 27-35 (Orlov will be 31 on Opening Night next season) with salary cap hits between $4.5 and $5.5 million, Orlov finished second in goals last season, fifth in points and points per game, first in shooting percentage, sixth in ice time per game and third in plus-minus rating. Will a duplicate performance merit a raise? Probably. But more important, at least a duplicate performance will likely be necessary to the Caps to reach the postseason, and he will have to improve his performance in the postseason for the Caps to have a chance for a deep run.
In the End…
Dmitry Orlov has quietly established himself among the post productive and best two-way defensemen in Capitals history. That he would have a career year in his productive prime seems unsurprising in that context. He labors under the shadow of the gaudier offensive numbers of John Carlson, which leads him to being somewhat underappreciated. Nevertheless, Orlov is an extremely valuable commodity that the Caps are likely to make every effort to retain when his contract expires after next season.
Grade: A-
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