Dmitry Orlov: “I still don’t know if I’ll go to the NHL this summer” (Photo © mhl.khl.ru)
During an interview with portal Sport Novokuznetsk, Washington Capitals’ prospect Dmitry Orlov stated that he still doesn’t know where he will spend the 2010-11 season.
Dmitry Orlov: “I still don’t know if I’ll go to the NHL this summer. I still have two more years of contract with Metallurg Novokuznetsk. I don’t really know, we’ll see what will happen.”
The blue liner, who did skate in last year’s rookie camp with the Capitals, has just been in the roster of the MHL runners-up. The Kuznetsk Bears lost the Russian Junior League finals 3-1 to the Steel Foxes from Magnitogorsk. Playoffs’ top scorer was 2010 eligible Maxim Kitsyn with 20 points in 17 games, while Dmitry Orlov was third in the standings with 19 points (9+10).
So, who thinks that he should go to the NHL and who thinks he should take other 1-2 years in the KHL? I’m for the KHL route.
I favor the KHL route as well. He is a really talented kid, but he is not likely to play in the NHL next year at all, if he chose to leave Novokuznetsk. They would either send him to a junior team, or send him to the AHL. Neither experience would help him at all with his development, and too many promising Russian careers have been lost by culture shock and low level play in the AHL.