As much as the 2020-21 season has been a rollercoaster for the NHL, it’s been one for Dmitry Orlov as well.
Entering the season, the bar was high. Washington revamped the blue line in the 2020 offseason, bringing in the likes of Justin Schultz, Zdeno Chara, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Paul LaDue and Cameron Schilling to strengthen the D-corps.
And, as Kevin McCarthy, a self-proclaimed “big Dmitry Orlov” fan explained, it appeared that Orlov was primed to mesh well with new head coach Peter Laviolette.
Just as it had over the last one and a half years, however, COVID-19 again took its toll — this time, impacting Washington’s start to the season.