Well it certainly seemed that things were going somewhat smoothly for the Jackets so far this year. Unfortunately that all came to an end late last night after the shootout victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Many eyebrows were raised on Sunday when it became apparent that Tom Sestito would be in Columbus for the game against the Oilers, but nothing seemed completely out of the ordinary when Sestito replaced Filatov in the line-up Monday night, especially after Filatov’s 3 turnovers on 1 single shift.
Anyways, during my drive home from the game this was posted on the Puck-Rakers Blog:
Rookie forward Nikita Filatov, who has struggled to remain in coach Ken Hitchcock’s lineup, might be headed back to Russia, perhaps as soon as this week, according to sources within and beyond the NHL.
Right there is enough to get the mind percolating and the blood brought to a little simmer. The post went on to the well documented “issues” between Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock and Little Nikky but had no confirmed rumors in them. Of course the comments section turned into a freak show and panic mode was in full force.
The issue all came to a head relatively fast with this post also from the Puck-rakers:
By mid-morning, Nikita Filatov’s locker in the Blue Jackets dressing room was empty. By noon, his nameplate above the stall was removed. By Wednesday morning, the rookie left winger will be on a plane back to Russia.
The Blue Jackets today reached agreement to transfer Filatov’s rights to CSKA Moscow of the KHL on a one-year loan agreement. All parties insist that Filatov’s days as an NHL player — and as a Blue Jacket — are not finished, but simply on hold.
In the end there will be a one year loan to CSKA with full expectation by all parties involved that Filatov will be in training camp in Columbus come next fall.
This all sounds like a relatively amicable move for the parties involved especially with the limited ice time that Filatov has received so far. Many have been quick to criticize Hitchcock given his unfair reputation of “destroying talented rookies” and such, but those people are the same who forgot about the likes of Jake Voracek, Derick Brassard, Steve Mason and other not quite as big names.
Is Hitch guilt free in this situation?, surely not. Filatov was rarely given the chance to play with the best players but was able to score two goals in very limited action. Defensively he was being blown off the puck when pressured and was very turnover prone in later weeks. Puck Daddy’s Dmitry Chesnokov has some of Filatov’s candid comments:
Q. When did you start talking to the CBJ management about going back to Russia?
FILATOV: It was a few days ago. At the end of last week I told them that I want to come back.
When did you tell your agent of your plans?
I told him after about four games into the season. He told me that I shouldn’t rush, and that I should wait to play in at least 10 games. As he told me, this is because anything could happen and change.
The timetable is an interesting note especially considering Filatov played those first 4 games, even scoring the GWG against Vancouver. But his average ice time was down around 7 minutes per game in that span. The interview goes on:
Do you still think you will make it in the NHL with Columbus?
Of course! I don’t even doubt that everything will be alright. I actually think that I have already made it because I started the season here. And, even it was very little, but I still played. It’s just, of course, I wanted to spend more time on the ice. That’s what I will try to achieve next season.
What did the coach and the GM tell you before you left?
They wished me luck and told me that they count on seeing me in camp next year.
While it is certainly nice to hear Nikita say the right things, I have a hard time remaining optimistic given his nearly very “me first” attitude about this situation. I may be the only one with this opinion, but to me it seems that Filatov, as a member of a team, should stick it out regardless of the issue at hand. Yes he is a free man and such, but when you sign a contract with a team, you’re agreeing to do as told, learn when directed, and plan how they want you to.
Yes, Ken Hitchcock runs a rigid defense first system, but No it hasn’t stymied the success of Rick Nash who has scored just about 112 goals since Hitch came to Columbus in late November of the 06-07 season. To me it really seems that Filatov is not giving the learning process a chance and wants instant success in what he does. Honestly, that seems to be a problem with immature athletes across the board (look at the steroid users looking for instant success and fame).
While I’m putting down Filatov’s attitude, I do say that I think this move could be beneficial for him in the long run. If he goes back to Russia, matures as a player, both mentally and physically, and sticks to his word, the Blue Jackets could be in great shape come next fall. But if there is a freak injury, a change of heart about playing in the NHL, or otherwise, it could be a complete loss of a 1st round draft pick.
Best of luck…
