Out of Time...and Columbus

The person you see above is Niktia Filatov.  Vancouver Canucks fans will remember him as the guy that was rumored to be included in a deal that would have seen Kevin Bieksa sent to Columbus.  Of course, that never happened, which turned out to greatly benefit Vancouver.  For Filatov, he was moved out to the Ottawa Senators this morning in a deal that saw Columbus gain a third round pick this year.

Filatov was supposed to be an offensive weapon for the Blue Jackets when he was drafted 6th overall in 2008.  In 44 games, he only managed 13 points and was a headache for the Blue Jackets the likes that only Nikolai Zherdev could claim.  While Zherdev has been a headache for the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers (and a KHL team) since then, one gets the feeling that Filatov could very well be following that same path of a talented player who causes more problems for the team he plays for than the ones he's facing.  Filatov's most (in)famous moment in Columbus was his clash with then-head coach Ken Hitchcock in the 2009-10 season that saw him finish in the KHL that season.  Last season saw him flounder in the AHL after a failed stint with the Blue Jackets.

So, what does that mean for both the Senators and Blue Jackets?  Well, the Blue Jackets are rid of one headache, but now have another first round flop on their hands.  For the Senators, Filatov will likely be given every chance to win a spot on the Sens' roster with their dearth of offense.  If Filatov doesn't fulfill his potential, it could very well be an Alexei Yashin redux.