Dmitry Orlov doesn't appear overly confident about where he's going to be playing after the World Cup of Hockey.
The Russian defenseman enters the tournament as a restricted free agent, heretofore unable to reach an agreement on a new deal with the Washington Capitals.
For now, he's focused on representing his country, but his confidence in regards to an imminent return to his NHL club seems to be waning.
From Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post:
Asked if he was still confident that he would re-sign with Washington, Orlov said he didn’t know.
"It’s hard to say," he said. "I was five years in this organization, and everything was good, you know?
"You know, I play five years in USA, so of course, I like it here," Orlov said. "And I would like to stay there, but I don’t know how it’s going to happen. We’ll see."
The 25-year-old is coming off a two-year, $4-million contract with the Capitals, and while he's expected to step into a top-four role on the club's blue line, the monetary value on his next deal may remain a point of contention, seeing as how he was limited by injuries prior to a 2015-16 season in which he recorded 29 points while averaging only 16 minutes a game.
Khurshudyan notes CSKA Moscow holds Orlov's KHL rights and would love to have him play there this season, but a deal with the Capitals still remains the likeliest conclusion to his offseason at this point.
Heading into training camp, the Capitals have $3,454,874 in available cap space, per General Fanager.
