The former Capitals defenseman is looking forward to what’s next in his NHL career.

Former Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov believes that Alex Ovechkin could break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record this season.

Orlov spoke on Ovechkin and his time in D.C. with Instead of Power and said that Ovechkin is more than capable of breaking the record.

“I hope he can do it this season. After all, there are only 42 goals left,” Orlov said, per a DeepL translation. “I think Sasha can do anything. He knows how to score. I wish him luck… when he rises to the top in NHL history in goals, it will be worth it.”

Orlov also said that he misses Ovechkin and had hoped that he would be able to finish out his career with the Capitals, who traded him to the Boston Bruins in 2023 as part of the trade deadline sell-off. The two still keep in touch, though.

“I sure do (miss him). Twelve years on the same team is a long time. We know each other, we communicate, we’re family friends,” Orlov said. “Of course, it was hard for me to leave when I left Washington. I wanted to finish my NHL career on the same team as him, but it didn’t work out. Nevertheless, life goes on.”

After time in Boston, Orlov signed a two-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. Though it’s been difficult to move around and play for three different teams in the last two years, he acknowledged that’s just reality, and he’s looking forward to the future.

“That’s the life of an athlete; you can’t escape it,” Orlov said. “Some people manage to spend their whole career on one team, some don’t… we’ll see what happens next.”