SAN JOSE – Sharks defenseman Dmitry Orlov might have needed a change of scenery after an up-and-down tenure with the Carolina Hurricanes.
San Jose might have been the ideal landing spot for Orlov, at least in the eyes of Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour.
Orlov signed a two-year contract with Carolina in 2023 and had a combined 54 points in 158 games, with Brind’Amour saying the 5-foot-11, 215-pound Russian was much better in his second year. But that didn’t prevent Orlov from absorbing a lot of outside criticism for his play during the Eastern Conference final in May, as Carolina was eliminated in five games by the Florida Panthers, who would go on to win their second straight Stanley Cup.
In a disastrous 6-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 3, Orlov, playing on the right side to accommodate rookie Alexander Nikishin, was minus-4 with a handful of turnovers. Jalen Chatfield, who was paired with Orlov for most of the season, missed the series against the Panthers with what was later revealed to be a hip injury.
“Wasn’t his best, but that’s the top team, right?” Brind’Amour said of Orlov’s East final. “We were missing his partner, and there’s a lot of things that went into that. But overall, (he’s) a professional, and you get pretty much the same every night out of him.
“You know what you’re getting, and that’s why he’s probably a good fit for the group he’s (with) now.”
Orlov, a right-shot defenseman, signed a two-year, $13 million contract with the Sharks on July 3, making him the highest-paid player on the team’s active roster.
Going into Tuesday’s game against the Hurricanes, Orlov was tied for the team lead with three points, all assists, and led the Sharks in average ice time per game (21:49).
“When I signed in Raleigh, you expect one thing,” Orlov said in July after he signed with the Sharks. “When (your play is not) showing up or the coach is not believing in 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. … 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.”
“If he went on to win a Stanley Cup, he might have said he loved his time,” in Raleigh, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Orlov. “We like him here with our group. He’s doing the things we’ve asked him to do. Works hard. He’s in the gym, he’s in the meetings. He’s prepared. So, he’s been a good fit for us.”
Orlov is getting used to a vastly different system with the Sharks than he was asked to play with the Hurricanes, and has also played with three different defense partners in three games.
Orlov was with Shakir Mukhamadullin in last week’s opener against the Vegas Golden Knights, rookie Sam Dickinson on Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks, and was slated to be paired with Mario Ferraro, playing on the right side, for Tuesday’s game.
“He leaves it all out there. He competes hard,” Warsofsky said. “Playing against him last year, below the goal line, he can end plays pretty quickly. He gets in there. He’s physical. We’ve seen it a little bit right now, so he’ll get more and more comfortable. We’d like to get him set with a (defense partner) and let them roll here for a few games.”
MESSAGE TO GRAF
With center Michael Misa making his NHL debut Tuesday, the Sharks scratched winger Collin Graf from the lineup. Graf had been the third line right wing for the Sharks’ first two games, but with Misa on that line, Ty Dellandrea was moved to the right side, with left winger Philipp Kurashev moving from the first line to the third.
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Warsofsky said he wanted to keep his fourth line of Adam Gaudette, Barclay Goodrow, and Ryan Reaves intact, leaving Graf, a leading penalty killer who averaged 15:33 in ice time the first two games, as the odd forward out Tuesday.
“It’s not like Graf has been playing horribly by any means,” Warsofsky said. “(I’d) like to see a little bit more conviction out of his game, playing along the inside, finishing checks. We don’t expect him ever to be a guy who puts guys into the boards and breaks the glass.
“But we need a bit more conviction from him. He’s been good on the penalty kill, so we’re going to miss him in that area. But early in the season, we don’t want to keep guys out too long here. I want to get some different looks.”
WAIVER WIRE
The Sharks placed winger Egor Afanasyev on waivers Tuesday. Acquired from the Nashville Predators in June 2024 for forward Ozzy Wiesblatt, and signed to a one-year deal in July after he spent a season in the KHL, Afanasyevn had one goal in three preseason games and began the season on the injured non-roster list. If Afanasyev clears waivers, he’ll be assigned to the Barracuda of the AHL