Orlov registered an assist and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Blues.

EDGE Analysis

The 25-year-old defenseman has been on fire recently with a goal and five points in his last seven games. Orlov is looking more confident in his game and joining the attack more than he did last season now that he's paired with John Carlson on the blue line. Garnering some modest power-play time, Orlov is worth owning in most formats and can be a sneaky play in daily leagues so keep an eye on him moving forward.

Orlov scored his first goal of the season in Wednesday's 7-1 thrashing of the Penguins.

EDGE Analysis

Despite the nice result, Orlov skated only 17:29, continuing his trend of playing inconsistent minutes. With just five points in 15 games and not a ton to offer in the peripheral stats, the 25-year-old is only useful in deep fantasy formats.

Orlov collected an assist on the game-winning goal in overtime Friday against Chicago.

EDGE Analysis

Orlov plays a second-pairing role and skates with the second power-play unit, so he doesn't have a oodles of opportunities to score. However, he made the most of his chances with a 29-point showing last year, and he's receiving more ice time this season. He has posted just three assists through the first 13 games and is best viewed as a low-end option in deep fantasy leagues, albeit he's an asset with upside.

Orlov got on the scoresheet for the first time this season with a power-play assist in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Colorado.

EDGE Analysis

After putting up eight goals and 29 points despite averaging a stunningly meager 16:02 of ice time last year, Orlov's earned a bit of a bigger role this season, but is still falling short of 20 minutes per game. Nonetheless, he's seeing power-play time with the Caps' star forwards, making him an intriguing under-the-radar pickup who's pretty widely available.

Orlov will play with John Carlson to start the season, J.J. Reagan of CSN Washington reports.

EDGE Analysis

The move is a promotion for Orlov, who was used as a third-pairing defenseman when the Capitals had a healthy cohort of blueliners last season. But his solid play while John Carlson and Brooks Orpik both missed time last season has given head coach Barry Trotz confidence the 25-year-old Russian can handle a top-four role to start the season. Signed to a one-year deal, the second-round pick from the 2009 Draft now has the opportunity to have a fine campaign alongside one of the league's best defensemen if he can stick in the top-four role and garner some power play time. His value has just increased in standard formats, and he is definitely worth drafting in deeper leagues.

Orlov finalized the terms of a one-year deal worth $2.57 million Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Orlov is the one young player on Washington's blue line, which made this deal somewhat inevitable. Last year, the 25-year-old averaged just 16:02 in ice time per game. Fantasy owners can likely expect an uptick in game action for the defenseman, which will increase his fantasy value heading into the 2016-17 season.

Orlov was tendered a qualifying offer Monday by the Capitals, Isabella Khurshudyan of the Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Orlov flamed out at the end of the season as he recorded a lone assist in 11 playoff contests after notching 29 points during the regular season. Although he is not a special teams contributor, the blueliner displayed his importance by playing in all 82 games, a feat which is sometime undervalued by fantasy owners. In addition to his offensive production, the 24-year-old bruiser registered 121 hits and 61 blocked shots.

Orlov picked up an assist in Monday's 6-1 rout over the Flyers.

EDGE Analysis

More noticeable was the devastating cross-check he took into the boards courtesy of Flyers winger Pierre-Edourad Bellemare late in the game. Fortunately, the 24-year-old blueliner seems to have escaped relatively unharmed, especially with fellow defenseman Brooks Orpik (upper body) sidelined indefinitely. Expect to see Orlov's workload increase with Orpik out of the lineup.

Orlov recorded a minus-2 rating in Sunday's 2-0 loss to the Ducks.

EDGE Analysis

Orlov dished out an assist in Saturday's win over the Blues, but that accounted for his lone point over the final 11 games. The defenseman still had a productive year in his first full season, finishing with 29 points and a plus-8 rating, but he'll likely continue to be in the team's bottom pairing heading into the playoffs.

Orlov dished out an assist in Sunday's loss to the Penguins.

EDGE Analysis

It wasn't all positive for Orlov though, as he finished the tilt with a minus-3 rating. The defenseman is now up to 20 helpers on the season and has tallied three points in the last five games, so he could have some value on the blue line in deeper formats.