SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks made their biggest free agent signing so far this offseason, inking veteran defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year, $13 million contract on Thursday.

Orlov, who turns 34 later this month, had played with the Carolina Hurricanes for the last two years and is entering his 14th NHL season.

“Dmitry is a strong, two-way defenseman who brings physicality and versatility on the ice,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “He has a wealth of NHL experience, both in the regular season and playoffs, and his Stanley Cup championship pedigree is a valuable addition to our team. We are happy to have him.”

Orlov, a left-shot defenseman, has 327 points in 867 career NHL games.

The Sharks on Thursday also claimed veteran defenseman Nick Leddy off of waivers from the St. Louis Blues, as Grier hopes to solidify a back end that was one of the team’s many problem areas in recent seasons. Leddy, 34, is entering the final year of a four-year, $16 million contract he signed with the Blues in 2022.

With the additions of Orlov and Leddy, the Sharks, per PuckPedia, now have $23 million in cap space under the $95.5 million upper limit with 22 players on their active roster.

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