PuckSleuth
9Cap hit
$6.5M
6.3% of $104M cap
Term
1 yr
Through 2026-27, then UFA
Clause
NTC
Surplus value
+$670K
vs. $7.17M market estimate
Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source
2026-27 regular season
GP
1
Goals
0
0.0% shooting
Assists
0
0 primary
Points
0
0.00 per game
TOI/GP
17:55
PP 0:29 · PK 1:34
xGF%
28.1
5v5, -20.5 vs. last yr
Game Score
-0.18
per game
Faceoff %
—
Plus/minus
-1
Blocks 3 · Hits 1
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 vs FLA · W 4-3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 17:55 | 0:29 | 1:34 | — | 50 | 2 | 0 | -1 | -0.18 |
| Apr 16 @ WPG · W 6-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:30 | 0:00 | 1:01 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +0.02 |
| Apr 15 @ CHI · L 5-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 18:29 | 2:38 | 0:03 | — | 67 | 3 | 0 | -2 | +0.23 |
| Apr 13 @ NSH · W 3-2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 20:03 | 0:30 | 0:00 | — | 40 | 1 | 0 | -1 | +0.17 |
| Apr 11 vs VAN · OTL 4-3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20:44 | 1:16 | 0:14 | — | 100 | 1 | 0 | +1 | +0.52 |
GS = our Game Score (credit for everything he did; goals and assists count most). FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.
Advanced metrics
5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 1,396 min · percentile vs. NHL defensemen
44th percentile
75th percentile
34th percentile
65th percentile
96th percentile
47th percentile
17th percentile
53rd percentile
70th percentile
55th percentile
11th percentile
40th percentile
19th percentile
30th percentile
xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.
Play styleOffensive playmaking defenseman
Trait percentiles vs. NHL defensemen · 2025-26
Orlov is an elite passer who drives play with constant pressure and excellent forechecking, making him dangerous in transition. His game relies heavily on playmaking and aggression because his defensive positioning and puck-handling efficiency have slipped noticeably.
- Shooting volume
- 40
- Playmaking
- 89
- Zone entries(est.)
- 13
- Forechecking
- 93
- Physicality
- 50
- Defensive impact
- 22
- Puck management
- 19
- Speed
- 24
Where he shoots from
Slot 9% · Mid-range 22% · Perimeter 68%(149 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- Elite forechecking at 93rd percentile keeps opponents on their heels
- Exceptional playmaking (89th percentile) drives his 34 assists
- Consistent ice time and involvement reward his offensive tendencies
Watch-outs
- Rush chances (13th percentile) suggest difficulty creating clean offensive entries
- Defensive impact (22nd percentile) indicates positioning or coverage gaps
- Puck management (19th percentile) shows increased turnovers at age 35
Similar style: Brendan Smith, Tyler Kleven (OTT)
Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.
Where his Game Score comes from
2025-26 · 82 GP
Season total +26.1, or +0.32 per game.
- Scoring
- +23.6
- Shooting
- +6.8
- 5-on-5 goals
- -2.9
- Defense
- -0.9
- Penalty kill
- -0.4
- Physical play
- +6.3
- Puck battles
- -4.2
- Penalties
- -2.3
Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | GWG | SOG | S% | TOI | FO% | GS/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12 | Washington Capitals | 60 | 3 | 16 | 19 | +1 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 51 | 5.9 | 16:52 | — | — |
| 2012-13 | Washington Capitals | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 14:57 | — | — |
| 2013-14 | Washington Capitals | 54 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -1 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 5.1 | 19:36 | — | — |
| 2015-16 | Washington Capitals | 82 | 8 | 21 | 29 | +8 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 90 | 8.9 | 16:02 | — | — |
| 2016-17 | Washington Capitals | 82 | 6 | 27 | 33 | +30 | 51 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 125 | 4.8 | 19:32 | — | — |
| 2017-18 | Washington Capitals | 82 | 10 | 21 | 31 | +10 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 125 | 8.0 | 23:08 | — | — |
| 2018-19 | Washington Capitals | 82 | 3 | 26 | 29 | +3 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 101 | 3.0 | 21:38 | — | — |
| 2019-20 | Washington Capitals | 69 | 4 | 23 | 27 | +5 | 36 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 105 | 3.8 | 22:10 | — | — |
| 2020-21 | Washington Capitals | 51 | 8 | 14 | 22 | +16 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 83 | 9.6 | 19:49 | — | — |
| 2021-22 | Washington Capitals | 76 | 12 | 23 | 35 | +25 | 44 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 127 | 9.4 | 20:58 | — | — |
| 2022-23 | Washington Capitals | 43 | 3 | 16 | 19 | +2 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 77 | 3.9 | 22:43 | — | +0.61 |
| 2022-23 | Boston Bruins | 23 | 4 | 13 | 17 | +10 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 8.5 | 22:13 | — | +0.61 |
| 2023-24 | Carolina Hurricanes | 82 | 6 | 20 | 26 | +4 | 36 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 129 | 4.7 | 17:19 | — | +0.46 |
| 2024-25 | Carolina Hurricanes | 76 | 6 | 22 | 28 | +16 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 117 | 5.1 | 20:00 | — | +0.38 |
| 2025-26 | San Jose Sharks | 82 | 3 | 34 | 37 | -28 | 48 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 3.3 | 21:12 | — | +0.32 |
| 2026-27 | San Jose Sharks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 17:55 | — | -0.18 |
| Career | 15 seasons | 950 | 79 | 285 | 364 | +105 | 399 | 6 | 59 | 1 | 19 | 1329 | 5.9 | 20:03 | — |
Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team. GS/GP is our Game Score per game.
Usage
Last game: vs FLA, Oct 1
Pair 1 with Luca Cagnoni (13:37 together at 5-on-5) · PP2
From the NHL's shift chart.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
No news about him in the last 30 days.
Sentiment & chatter
Fans
—
Beat writers
—
Media
—
Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.
Recent Game Scores
Last 10 games · goals above average
Average +0.44 per game over these 10.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2025-26, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 21.3 mph
- 35th pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 16
- Hardest shot
- 92.3 mph
- 61st pct
- Distance
- 238.6 mi
- OZ time
- 44.1%
- 84th pct
- DZ time
- 37.9%
Age curve
NHL defensemen · production index
At 35, defensemen typically produce 67% of their peak (age 24).
From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.
Contract by season
1 season left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | SJS | $6.5M | 6.3% |
UFA after 2026-27. NTC. $6.5M in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).