Bruins add even more talent
The NHL's best team just got bigger and tougher.
Already on their way to one of the best seasons in hockey history, the Boston Bruins acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals on Thursday in exchange for forward Craig Smith and three draft choices. It's the latest big acquisition by an Eastern Conference contender as the league approaches the March 3 trade deadline.
Boston sent a 2023 firstround pick, a 2024 second-rounder, a 2025 thirdrounder and Smith to Washington. The Capitals retained half of Orlov's salary and Minnesota will pay 25%; the Wild will receive a 2023 fifth-rounder for helping Boston stay under the cap.
Orlov and Garnet will join the team with the NHL's best record after leaving one that won it all in 2018.
With a 43-8-5 record and 91 points heading into the Kraken game — a pace that would surpass the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens' alltime record of 132 points — the Bruins have shown few weaknesses. But the memories of recent playoff disappointments left Sweeney worried about depth, especially on defense, heading into what he hopes will be a long postseason run.
The Bruins have topped 100 points for four straight non-pandemic seasons but have made just one long playoff run, losing to the St. Louis Blues in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
Orlov, 31, was a homegrown player for Washington and helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 2018. Hathaway, 31, has played on the Capitals' fourth line for the past four seasons. DUCKS TOP CAPS, END 6-GAME SKID >> Jakob Silfverberg
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