Thu, Feb 23, 2023 at 6:30pm

ORLOV AND HATHAWAY BROUGHT TO BOSTON

In a three-way trade, the Boston Bruins acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals, and forward Andrei Svetlakov from the Minnesota Wild; Washington acquired winger Craig Smith, a first-round draft pick in 2023, a third-round draft pick in 2024 and a second-round draft pick in 2025 from the Bruins; and Minnesota acquired a fifth-round draft pick in 2023 from the Bruins.

What does it give the Boston Bruins
For Boston, adding Orlov to the blueline and Hathaway to the fourth line gives the team with the best record in the NHL this season even more depth. The Bruins are clearly gunning for a Stanley Cup this year in what could be the final run for the team's core group. They paid a steep price, but it is clearly a seller's market before the trading deadline this year.

What does it give the Washington Capitals
The Capitals are still in the running for a wild card position in the Eastern Conference. That said, they are an aging team with plenty of injury woes and inconsistency this season. So, GM Brian MacLellan has sent the team a message: "we are not good enough as currently constructed." Adding future assets gives MacLellan plenty of options moving forward.

What does it give the
Wild GM Bill Guerin is using the cap space he currently has to help other NHL contenders like the Toronto Maple Leafs and now the Bruins. In this deal, which was very similar to the Ryan O'Reilly trade with Toronto and St. Louis, Minnesota adds a future draft pick for retaining salary on a player involved in this trade (Orlov). Why is Guerin doing this? It is a mystery.

Fantasy impact
Orlov's fantasy value could take a small hit down the stretch because he may not see as much ice time in important situations. Hathaway is a quality fourth-line winger without much in the way of fantasy value. Smith could help Washington down the stretch because of their injury issues. He needed a change of scenery and can get hot in terms of point production. Keep an eye on him. Svetlakov was thrown into the deal and is not much of a prospect.