The Boston Bruins have made a huge splash ahead of the 2023 NHL trade deadline.
The Bruins are acquiring defenseman Dmitry Orlov and right wing Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals in exchange for right wing Craig Smith, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick.
The Minnesota Wild also are getting a 2023 fifth-round pick from the Bruins for retaining 25 percent of Orlov's salary. In total, 75 percent of Orlov's salary is being retained. Boston acquired the rights to forward Andrei Svetlakov from the Wild, too. He's currently playing in Russia.
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The B's needed to bolster their depth on the blue line and improve their bottom-six forward group, and this trade accomplishes both objectives.
Orlov has tallied 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 43 games. He plays a physical style of hockey, he can kill penalties and has 74 games of playoff experience, including a Stanley Cup ring from the 2017-18 Capitals roster. Orlov was a top-four defenseman in Washington, but he might be a third-pairing option in Boston given the Original Six club's strength on the blue line.
Hathaway is a versatile forward who can play both left and right wing. He's a pain in the butt to play against and constantly gets under opponents' skin. He can also provide some offense -- 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 59 games. He scored the game-winning goal in the Capitals' 2-1 win over the Bruins at TD Garden on Feb. 11.