The San Jose Sharks picked up an intriguing free agent last week as Dmitry Orlov to is coming over from the Carolina Hurricanes. Orlov has been in the NHL for a long time as he started his career in 2011 with the Washington Capitals. Orlov was with the Capitals for a long time, but he has had a couple of short stints with the Boston Bruins and Hurricanes. Now, he is getting a new start with the Sharks.
“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],” Orlov said, according to an article from NHL.com. “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. Right now, it's a new chapter, a new fresh start for me with a new team, a young team, too. So it's going to be a new experience for me.”
From what Dmitry Orlov said about this move, it sounds like it was needed. The last couple of seasons have taken a toll.
“I know it's kind of a rebuild, but [we] have a lot of good young players,” he said. “For me I just want to change a little bit, [after the] last two years, it wasn't easy for me mentally,” Orlov said. “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 is the type of player that this young Sharks team needs. He has been in the league for almost 15 years, and he has good postseason experience as well.
“I talked to the coaches and GM a little bit about when they're going to get [to the playoffs],” Orlov added. “When you get there, you're going to know more systems [and] what they expect from you. You just need to bring it and help young players.”
Not only is this move going to be good for Orlov himself, but it sounds like it will be good for his family as well.
“I texted Brent Burns, and he gave me good advice about the organization. [That] helped me to understand what's going on,” he said. “He said he loves it. The area. The organization. For kids, too. He's a family guy, and I have my wife and a kid who grows fast every year. He loves hockey, so [I wanted to] make sure we're going to find a good school for him, so he enjoys it.”
The Sharks are a young team that is building from the ground up, and Orlov is excited to be a part of it.
“When I came into the League the game changed already. You could see these young players, they have so much skill, so much speed at that age,” Orlov said. “It's going to be fun for me to see them in practice. [Seeing] what they can do, [and making] sure they bring it at game time too. It is the first time I'm going to be an older player in the game. I'm actually pretty excited to see what's going to happen and make sure we have fun.”
