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How Bruins’ trade deadline acquisitions have performed with new team

How Bruins' trade deadline acquisitions have performed with new team

How Bruins’ trade deadline acquisitions have performed with new team originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins made a splash in the week leading up to the NHL trade deadline by acquiring defenseman Dmitry Orlov and right wing Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals, as well as left wing Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings.

The cost to acquire these players was steep, including first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 (top-10 protected), among other assets. But the decision to load up was the correct one for the Bruins, who are having a historic season. They’re also the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

The Bruins are 6-2-0 since the Orlov/Hathaway trade and 2-2 with Bertuzzi. Let’s take a deeper look at how well Orlov, Hathaway and Bertuzzi have fit in with the Bruins so far.

Dmitry Orlov, D

Stats with Bruins: 8 GP, 3 G, 7 A, 20:32 TOI/Game

Best fitTop pairing with Charlie McAvoy

Assessing fit: Orlov has been fantastic offensively. He’s produced at better than a point-per-game rate and has contributed to the power play. Orlov leads all Bruins defensemen in goals (two), assists (four) and hits (18) during 5-on-5 action since his debut Feb. 25 against the Vancouver Canucks. He ranks second among B’s d-men in scoring chances with eight, while also blocking eight shots and taking zero penalties at 5-on-5. Orlov’s hot start earned him the league’s First Star of the Week honors on March 6.

The Russian defenseman has been good defensively, but there’s room for improvement. In fairness, he’s coming to a new team, a new system and it’s going to take time to get adjusted. He’s been thrown right into the fire — playing on all three pairings, the left and right side, and with six (!) different partners.

Orlov has played the most with Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo and Hampus Lindholm. He has been a strong fit with McAvoy on the top pairing, and the stats prove it. The best example came in a win against the New York Rangers on March 4 when the Orlov/McAvoy pairing totally shut down the Rangers’ top line, including Mika Zibanejad and Vladimir Tarasenko. The B’s had a 8-1 advantage in shot attempts during the 3:16 of ice time Orlov played against Patrick Kane, too, per Natural Stat Trick.

Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery will likely give Orlov minutes with several defensemen going forward, but the early returns with McAvoy have been strong. Orlov also should continue to see plenty of minutes on special teams. He has played 1:54 per game…

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