One year ago, Dmitry Orlov’s future with the Washington Capitals was kind of up in the air. He was coming off a promising, but frustrating season. Sure, Orlov showed impressive offensive production, finishing second among Caps defensemen in even strength points per 60 minutes. But everyone was angry about his constant turnovers. Funny how much a year can change things. After being put with Matt Niskanen, the duo formed indisputably the Capitals’ best defensive pairing.
Orlov did this after doing the Caps a huge favor by taking a cheap $2 million one-year deal. So now it’s time for the Capitals to pay the piper.