From THN's Archive: Nikita Filatov

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Nikita Filatov - Mar. 1, 2009 – Adam Proteau

When the Columbus Blue Jackets made Nikita Filatov the first Russian player selected at the 2008 NHL draft, they did so with some degree of risk. The lack of a transfer agreement between the Russian Hockey Federation and the NHL meant there was no guarantee Filatov could leave the Motherland. And playing at home in the upstart, flush-with-cash Kontinental League was a draw many players hailing from the great red hockey-factory of a nation would not resist.

However, Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson and the Columbus braintrust had met with Filatov a handful of times prior to draft day and they all came away believing the 18-year-old left winger was as close to a sure thing as any Russian player can be these days.

“We knew he would get a lot of pressure from Russia and the KHL to stay home and play,” Howson said. “We talked to him three or four times before the draft and really tried to ask him the same question 10 or 15 different ways to find out his commitment level to do this. But Nikita’s story stayed consistent – he told us, ‘I want to play in the NHL and I’m going to come over right away if the team wants me to.’

“He also has a fairly strong command of the English language compared to many Russian and foreign-born players and that’s part of the battle. And he’s very confident in his ability to play no matter who the competition is and that hasn’t changed from the first time I met him.”

Filatov’s confidence shines through even in a phone interview.

“It was a difficult decision for me and my family to move here at 18 and play,” Filatov said. “I didn’t play so much in the first Russian league last year, but my dream always was to play in the NHL. In my mind, it was OK even if I came and played (in) junior for the year. No problem.”

It never came to that, because very quickly, Howson’s faith paid off: Despite battling a leg injury this season and adjusting to a different continent, culture and five different levels of hockey in less than two years, Filatov has impressed enough observers to be named THN’s Future Watch “best NHL-affiliated prospect” for 2009.

“That is music to a scout’s ears,” said Don Boyd, Blue Jackets director of hockey operations, after being informed of Filatov’s honor. “We knew we were bringing in a special player when we drafted Nik and to see his skill and the determination he has to make it to the NHL and be an important contributor to our franchise, is really a huge thrill for us.”

Also excited beyond belief was Filatov, who admitted his fluency in English played a big role in his decision to come to North America.

“Being able to speak English is such a big advantage,” Filatov said. “I’m absolutely sure I would never come over here if I didn’t know the language. It helps a lot. I’m a person who likes to speak and I can’t be quiet all the time. I like to have fun and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if I couldn’t talk with my teammates.”

The Jackets drafted Filatov sixth overall, after the Toronto Maple Leafs traded up to take stay-at-home defenseman Luke Schenn with the fifth pick. Columbus likely would have taken a long look at selecting Schenn if that sequence of events didn’t play out the way it did, but saying they’re happy the way the draft went is a serious understatement.

“Nikita is really a talented player,” said coach Ken Hitchcock. “He has that unique, rare ability to shoot the puck while skating at top speed. And to see what he can do off the stickhandle is pretty impressive.”

Equally impressive was the manner in which Filatov made his NHL debut – with a goal on his first shot in his first game and a hat trick in his sixth game. That’s no small feat for the Moscow native, considering his age (18) and his 6-foot, 172-pound frame, and the fact he’s played on both the Central Army senior and junior teams, the Russian national junior team, the Blue Jackets and their American League affiliate in Syracuse since the beginning of 2007-08.

“The biggest adjustment he’s had to make this season is dealing with the size of players at the NHL level,” Hitchcock said. “The other thing is, he’s making the adjustments you make coming out of junior as well, because now when he plays, he doesn’t have the puck all the time.

“So here’s a kid who is making a lot of adjustments on the fly and he’s only 18. The NHL is tough enough for a 19-year-old, let alone somebody who’s 18. It’s a hard league, but he’s done all right so far. He’s not intimidated, but the biggest adjustment that’s going to take time for him is learning to play the game on a smaller surface.”

As Howson noted, Filatov resembles many highly touted rookies in that he has supreme confidence in his abilities. But like those prospects had to learn, so too has Filatov discovered the road to NHL glory is far more difficult to traverse than at any other level.

“He’s got to come and see it and experience it here in the NHL,” Howson said. “He’s got to see how hard it’s going to be for him, because it is hard out there and it’s harder than they think it’s going to be. All young players have to fight through that.”

The Blue Jackets are helping Filatov’s progress along by giving him a regular taste of life in both the AHL and NHL for the remainder of 2008-09. Shuttling between leagues may not be the preferred solution for Filatov, but it does accomplish the organization’s goal of rapidly acclimating him to smaller North American arenas. Through 23 AHL games, Filatov had seven goals and 17 points.

“Between him playing in (Columbus) and Syracuse and in world junior games, we think getting him on a small surface as much as we can will accelerate his process,” Hitchcock said of Filatov, who captained the Russians to a bronze medal in January after a heartbreaking semifinal loss to Canada. “I think this year has really helped him already, because when he came back to (Columbus) the second time, he really had improved from training camp in understanding how to play on a smaller ice surface and competing for pucks.”

Filatov understands management’s choice to move him around.

“Especially in training camp and (the) first month in the American League, I learned so much,” he said. “It’s so much about small aspects of the game, small moments. And because of the different size of the rinks here, it takes a little bit of time to adjust.”

As the Blue Jackets make a late-season push for their first post-season berth in team history, Howson feels Filatov is a key member of the core group of youngsters all NHL teams have to commit to earlier than ever in the new salary cap world.

“You do make that commitment earlier now,” Howson said. “We feel we’ve got a really strong core with Steve Mason and Kris Russell, Rick Nash and (Jakub) Voracek, Filatov and (Derrick) Brassard and that’s probably the young group we’re going to want to commit to.”

Up Next: The Blue Jackets will now take a five-day break for Christmas and will resume their march to the playoffs on December 28th against the New York Islanders. 

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