The last time Capitals Coach Barry Trotz tried to explain how defenseman Dmitry Orlov is rusty after not playing for a whole season, he used a football analogy. It was like a backup quarterback, he said, who might practice every day, but the lack of game action occasionally showed itself.
With that in mind, Trotz has put Orlov in five preseason games, giving him opportunities to get reacquainted with the speed and timing of hockey that he hadn’t experienced for 17 months, when he was sidelined after a wrist surgery. So, how has Orlov fared in exhibitions? In short, the answer is that it’s still a work in progress.