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. His play improved and his ice time increased from year one to year two, but he also absorbed a lot of 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-

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