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San Jose Sharks Sign Stanley Cup Champion Defenseman From Hurricanes

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 12:12 PM ET

The San Jose Sharks have added plenty of talent this off-season, and now they've landed a former Stanley Cup Champion from Carolina.

The start of free agency in the NHL has seen some shocks, some great moves and overall chaos around the league, but heading into Thursday, there were still plenty of intriguing names available.

One of those names was veteran blue liner Dmitry Orlov, but on Thursday he officially inked a new deal, departing the Carolina Hurricanes to head to the Western Conference.

According to reports, Orlov has signed a two-year deal with a $6.5 million AAV with the San Jose Sharks, with the 33-year old set to join his fourth team in the National Hockey League thus far.

This past season, Orlov was strong again in Carolina, tallying 6 goals and 28 points in 72 games played, with a +16 differential, making it 10 straight seasons with a positive point differential for the Russian star.

In San Jose, he may not be on a contender anymore, but with such a talented young roster, he'll have a huge role to play on a team that could surprise many people in the West in 2025/26.

It's unclear what other offers Orlov had out there, but at $6.5 million, there weren't many teams willing to pay what the Sharks just did, and now, Orlov is set for a unique challenge, and one he hasn't seen yet in his NHL career as he joins a rebuilding squad.

With the additions or Orlov and John Klingberg, this is now a blue line that's got some talent and balance, and while their success will all depend on the development of their young core up front (with plenty more talent to arrive in the coming years), the addition or Orlov is a fantastic move, and could help the Sharks take a huge leap forward this season.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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