On Friday (June 9), the NHL saw its second true sign-and-trade in league history. The New Jersey Devils traded defenseman Damon Severson to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and he immediately inked an eight-year, $50 million deal with the club. With this move, the Devils received a third-round pick for the previously pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) instead of losing him for nothing. This should immediately grab the attention of Boston Bruins general manager (GM) Don Sweeney when it comes to Dmitry Orlov specifically. Orlov is a bigger difference-maker than Severson, so he too could land the Bruins a third-round pick if a sign-and-trade is successfully agreed upon.
Orlov has made it known that he is “looking forward” to free agency, and the Bruins very likely do not have the cap space to bring him back. Thus, they should consider trading his signing rights. This is especially so when remembering that the Bruins are heading into the draft with only five picks. As a result, let’s discuss three teams who could be sign-and-trade candidates for Orlov.
Pittsburgh Penguins
After a very disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins are gearing up for a crucial summer. They now have new management with Kyle Dubas leading the charge, and it should lead to Pittsburgh being quite active. When noting that the Penguins are entering the summer with over $20 million of cap space, they are in a position to make major moves, and Orlov could be a target because of it.
The Penguins will be in the market for a top-four, left-shot defenseman if pending UFA Brian Dumoulin walks or is let go by the club. Orlov would be a notable upgrade over Dumoulin on their top pairing with Kris Letang. Furthermore, due to Orlov’s strong all-around game, he would also be a candidate to receive time on both the Penguins’ power play and penalty kill.
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are also a team to pay attention to in a potential Orlov sign-and-trade scenario. Although they were major sellers at the deadline, they are not in a full-on rebuild but instead simply retooling. They are also entering the offseason with over $15 million of cap space, so they surely are in a position to do some spending. After trading Mattias Ekholm, one area that they should be looking to improve is their defensive group. Signing Orlov would allow them to do just that.
Orlov would provide the Predators with a significant boost in their top four. Due to his versatility, it could make sense for him to play top-pairing minutes with star defenseman Roman Josi. Yet, he also would be an option for second-pairing minutes with Tyson Barrie. Either way, the Predators’ defensive group would be a lot better, as Orlov would provide them with more offense, physicality, and steady defensive play from the point.
Buffalo Sabres
Although the Buffalo Sabres missed the playoffs this year, they are heading in the right direction. As a result of this and the club having plenty of cap space to work with, they should have themselves a very busy offseason. When looking at their current roster, it is apparent that their defensive group needs to improve if they hope to take that next step and be a guaranteed playoff team. They could express interest in a player like Orlov because of this.
Although the Sabres currently have an excellent one-two punch on the left side with Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, Orlov still makes sense as a sign-and-trade target for them. As noted above, Orlov can play the right side well, so he would be a candidate to play on Buffalo’s top pairing with Dahlin. However, he also would work well on their second pairing with Power if needed as well. In either scenario, the Sabres’ top four would improve by adding Orlov, so they surely could be in the mix for his services.
Related: Bruins’ 2023 Free-Agent Targets: Minnesota Wild
Although the Bruins would certainly love to keep Orlov around, it just does not seem too likely given their current cap situation. Thus, when looking at New Jersey’s return for Severson, they should seriously ponder the possibility of a sign-and-trade. If they do, it will be fun to see if any of these three teams end up successfully acquiring him.