Dmitry Orlov Takes Shots at the Carolina Hurricanes Organization After Signing in San Jose

Orlov had a particularly rough postseason with the Carolina Hurricanes this year, whom he had played for over the same amount of time.

And now that he's with a new team on the exact opposite coast of the country, he's saying that he's happy to have a fresh start with a new club and that his time with the Hurricanes wasn't easy mentally.

I just want to change a little bit, [after the] last two years, it wasn't easy for me mentally. So, I just tried to move far away with a new team and a new life for me. It's going to be interesting, and I'm actually pretty excited for that.

Orlov also called out coach Rod Brind'Amour for routinely putting him on the team's last defensive pairing, which was something that he never expected when he signed with the team in 2023.

When I signed in Raleigh you expect one thing. When [your play is not] showing up or the coach is not believing you, and it's always the bottom [pair]. Everybody has their own story and own career. So I learned on my way, and I just need to be more focused as an older guy, more experienced. I expect one thing, but you need to just focus day by day, basically. You cannot look too far. It's what I did, and I think it was a mistake.

Orlov, who won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018, has 327 points (76G, 251A) in 867 career NHL games.