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NHL
Filatov leaving Blue Jackets
Russian rookie headed back to homeland
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 1:30 PM
Updated: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 02:54 PM
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
In 19 games this season, Nikita Filatov was a healthy scratch six times.
Rookie left winger Nikita Filatov is leaving the Blue Jackets to return to his native Russia, The Dispatch has learned. The Blue Jackets today reached a one-year loan agreement with CSKA-Moscow of the Contental Hockey League. Filatov will play his first game in Russia on Saturday. "Everybody had high expectations for him," Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson said. "I still have high expectations for him. "It's just not happening as soon as we'd hoped, but that's OK, too." The Blue Jackets have been assured that Filatov will return to Columbus next fall for training camp, Howson said. They own Filatov's NHL rights through at least the 2016-17 season. Many expected Filatov, 19, to challenge for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given each season to the NHL's top rookie. But he has found it difficult to earn the trust of Hitchcock, who has earned a reputation during his long coaching career of making life difficult for young players. In 19 games this season, Filatov was a healthy scratch six times, including yesterday's 3-2 shootout win over Edmonton. When he has dressed, Filatov has averaged 8 minutes, 7 seconds of ice time, ahead of only fourth-liners Jared Boll and Mike Blunden. Filatov was the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NHL entry draft. He spent last season getting acclimated to North American style hockey with the Blue Jackets' top minor league affiliate in Syracuse. During training camp in September, he told The Dispatch that a demotion to Syracuse this season would make him at least consider going back to Russia, where he could make millions -- more than his current NHL deal -- playing for CSKA Moscow. NHL teams loaning players to other leagues is not uncommon. It is, however, more dicey with the Continental Hockey League (KHL), which has no player-transfer agreement with the NHL. Howson said the Blue Jackets negotiated with CSKA coach and general manager Sergei Nemchinov, a former NHL player. In the offseason, the Jackets loaned Andrei Plekhanov, who had been playing in Syracuse, to Moscow Dynamo of the KHL for this season. Plekhanov is not a prized prospect on par with Filatov, though. This summer, the Ottawa Senators sent prospect Ilya Zubov to Ufa Salavat Yulayev of the KHL. Filatov always has maintained that his dream is to play in the NHL. As of today, that dream has been delayed. Filatov is expected to represent Russia in the world junior championships in late December. The Blue Jackets will begin a seasonlong, five-game road trip on Thursday in Dallas. Story toolsToday’s Top Stories |
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