Dmitry Orlov’s first week with the Boston Bruins couldn’t have gone much better, and as a result he earned the NHL’s Star of the Week Award for the week ending on March 5.
The Boston Bruins acquired Dmitry Orlov, and winger Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals on Feb. 23 in a three-team trade that also included the Minnesota Wild as a salary cap broker. After going pointless in his first game with the Bruins on Feb. 25, Orlov has been absolutely on fire. The new Boston Bruins defenseman had two assists in a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Feb.27; two goals and an assist in a 4-3 overtime win over the Calgary Flames on Feb. 28; a goal and two assists in a 7-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on March 2, and and assist in the 4-2 win over the New York Rangers this past Saturday.
Just to get an idea of what an instant impact the 5-foot-11, 214-pound, 31-year-old rearguard has had in his first five games with the Boston Bruins, take a gander at what five other notable trade acquisitions leading into the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline did in their first five games with their new teams:
Ryan O’Reilly, Toronto Maple Leafs: Three goals; two assists. O’Reilly then had no points in his next five games, and is now out long term with a finger injury. Bo Horvat, New York Islanders: Three goals; one assist. Vladimir Tarasenko, New York Rangers: Two goals; one assist. Also, winger Timo Meier scored in his first game with the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, and winger Patrick Kane has no points in his first two games with the New York Rangers.Not only has Orlov fit in seamlessly on the ice, he’s also become an instant presence in an already veteran-laden dressing room led by Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron and alternate captain David Krejci.
“Obviously, we’re extremely happy, and I think he is as well in terms of how he’s come in, and earned the respect of everybody just from Day 1, just wanting to put his work boots on and just join the team,” general manager Don Sweeney said Friday of Orlov. “Now he’s won. So that automatically. …he walks through the door and people are like, ‘This guy wants to win; wants to win again’ and you’re seeing quickly, you know, scores goal and the guy has been embraced, and how genuinely excited he is for each and every one of his teammates. It says a lot about what he wants to accomplish as a hockey player, and it’s the thing we were hoping for.”
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