ESPN.com
Rank: 15 (unchanged)
Blue Jackets have won three of four, but the loss was a 9-1 whipping at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings.

CBSSports.com
Rank: 14 (unchanged)
These days, Mathieu Garon is giving the Jackets the kind of goaltending they expected from Steve Mason.

TSN.ca
Rank: 20 (-15)
Only one regulation time loss in the last seven, but it was a doozy, dropping a 9-1 decision to the Red Wings, a game that could very well make it impossible for G Steve Mason to recover statistically from his slow start to his sophomore season. 
Key Injuries: LW Raffi Torres (jaw).

ColumbusDispatch.com
Rank: 12 (-2)
The Jackets have given up 65 in 18 games. Dirty little secret: They gave up 63 goals through 19 games last season, then shaped up..

THN.com
Rank: 18 (-7)
Must have next contest with Wings (Boxing Day) circled after Detroit laid a 9-1 whuppin' on them last week.

CNNSI.com
Rank:  18 (-3)
Steve Mason bought himself a spell on the bench, but it's hard to say what sealed the deal. Was it the eight goals he allowed in Detroit's 9-1 horsewhipping (happy 1,000th game, Hitch!) or his unflattering assessment of his teammates afterward. Nothing wrong with holding the boys accountable, but you need to gain a little more weight before you do it in public, Steve-O. Mathieu Garon looked sharp in a 3-2 bounceback win Saturday and earned another start Monday. Last week: 1

Sportsnet.ca
Rank: 14 (-5)
The Blue Jackets treated its coach, Ken Hitchcock, to a 9-1 loss to Detroit in his 1,000th NHL game.

CBC.ca
Rank: 17 (+2)
Hard to believe a Hitchcock team struggling defensively.

Yahoo.com
Rank: Not published

FoxSports.com
Rank: Not published

Meta-score: 16 (last week 12.7)

High: 12 (Dispatch)
Low: 20 (TSN)

Most of these rankings do not include the two victories from this week.  The Jackets should take a nice jump up the rankings - especially if the slay Vader tomorrow night.

-LTL

That was a crazy first period eh?  I would expect that from a Nashville or Calgary game but definitely wasn't ready for the fireworks to go off against Dallas.  Whew... entertainment at it's best!

This Jackets team showed they can play you anyway you want it.

..and how about that powerplay..?!? That beautiful gorgeous POWERPLAY!!!

A good all around 60 minute road effort for the boys in blue.

* Mason.  Stopping that first point shot on that ealry PP really set the tone for him.  He came close to a major gaff but recovered in time to keep the puck out.  He stopped 25 of 26.  Solid night for him.

* Answering the bell.  Boll, Dorsett, Chimera, Nash.. Hell, everyone was getting into the action.

* Dorsett.. heart and soul... heart and soul.  Hope this kid is okay.

* Major props to Chimera for taking on Ott... Ott is a fighter who was taking cheap shots all night long and Chimera, while not the best fighter, got in there and stood up for his teammates.

* I think it's safe to say Boll hadn't forgot about that fight against Barch last season.  He wanted him in a bad way.. Nice fight for 40.

* The Jackets finally closed out a game.  That looked a like like the team from a year ago.  Good step to build from.

* Torres back in the lineup after just two games and gets a goal.

* Are my eyes deceiving me me or did we really win by more than 1 goal?

* Now that is how you start a road trip!

* Credit to officials for not blowing the whistle on Nash's PP goal.

* MacKenzie's play.  He's been fantastic and has the most jump of any Jacket on the ice.  Jackets can't send this guy back down with the way he's playing... can they?

* Huselius.  Not only two goals but that shorthanded goal with just seconds left in the first was the play of this game. His second goal was nice as well as he stole it in-between the circles and put it home.  I also rag on this guy for being weak defensively but had some good stick work in that area tonight.  Juice is knows as a streaky guy.. I think we are seeing him in one of those streaks.  Great game for him!

* Hitch's call to start Mase.

* Voracek had a real nice game.  Had some nice jump and what a setup on that Torres goal.  Oh soo close on that breakaway.

* Jackets fans that FSN showed in the box carrying the flag post game.  Way to go!!

* PK was flawless on this night.  That's not a phrase I've used often of late.

* D overall was great.  Jan Hejda was Jan Hejda (game high 6 blocked shots).  Stralman moved the puck well.  Methot was real good in the corners.  Commodore looked good back in the lineup and was very phsyical (team high 7 hits).  Tyutin with a couple of helpers.  Rusty doing his thang. Absolutely no complaints with this group.

* Nice class shown by Rimer and Davidge with their comments about Stephanie Speilman during the game.

YELLOW
* Another game another play where it looks like Rusty gets injured only to return later.  I'm glad he's willing to stand in there and takes hits but damn he takes a beating.

* There was some serious head hunting goin on this game.

* Derick Brassard's favorite NHL city is Dallas?  Who woulda thunk that?  As far his game I thought he played well.. created some quality chances (Voracek and Nash come to mind) and seemed to be skating well.  No points unfortunately but those should come if he keeps playing like he did.

RED
* Consider my man crush on Neal history. I get that he didn't want to drop the gloves with Dorsett - he's tied in the points lead and the Stars want this guy on the ice not off it... HOWEVER.... What do you don't do instead is take a run at him from all the way across the ice and run his head through the boards (see Blue Light Special video). There just is not a place in the game for that crap.  Dude better have a suspension comin his way.

* Ott's a cheap shot punk.  I don't mind the hard hits and getting under the skin of the oppositions -- that is his role... but you don't try to take someone's legs out in open ice like he did on Voracek.... Total bush league and also has no place in the game..

* So much for my thoughts that Garon should get the start.  That's why I'm behind a keyboard and Hitch is behind the bench!!

3 BRIGHT LIGHTS ON THE NIGHT
1. Powerplay
2. Sticking up for teammates and answering the bell
3. Solid all around road effort

The Jackets move to 12-6-2 and are in second place in the division with 26 points.  They have won 3 in a row.

Next up is Vader at the space station.  A place the Jackets have got absolutely owned the past few years and if I recall correctly, a place Hitch has yet to win as HC of the CBJ.

GO JACKETS!!

-LTL

* Looks like there is a nice little contingent of CBJ fans making the drive (or flights) to Nashville this Saturday.  On my little poll alone 38 of you checked in to say you're making the trip!

I'll see ya there and plan to tweet the journey!!

* I've been wanting to comment on this for a while but anyone else notice they've turned the lighthouse light back on for events at Nationwide?  Looks great.

* THN.com weighs in on Filatov (damn I couldn't make it through a day without mentioning him):

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ decision to allow young winger Nikita Filatov to return to Russia for the remainder of this season has sparked speculation he’ll become trade fodder.

Filatov, 19, was frustrated with his lack of playing time and inability to adjust to the two-way system of Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock, which reportedly was a point of contention between Hitchcock and GM Scott Howson, who selected the young Russian sixth overall in the 2008 draft.

Howson believes Filatov will benefit from playing back home in Russia and expects him to return a more mature and adaptable player. However, Chris Botta of AOL Fanhouse believes Filatov, a pure offensive forward, isn’t a good fit under Hitchcock’s system. Botta suggests Howson might be willing to listen to offers for the young winger and move him if he gets an offer that would push the Blue Jackets over the top.

Botta raises a good point, particularly the possibility the Jackets have another Nik Zherdev situation on their hands if they wait too long to move Filatov. But unless Howson gets a sweetheart offer between now and next fall, or Filatov demands a trade, the GM will likely hang onto the promising Russian and evaluate his performance next season.

* Time Warner is now carrying the Center Ice HD channel.  I caught it last night when I watched most of the Oil/Avs game.  Off memory (which is very short term) I think it's channel 723.

* THN also check in on the top 10 scorers in the KHL.  Look who is at #10:

10. Sergei Mozyakin, Atlant Mytishchi, 10 goals, 15 assists, 25 points
The 28-year-old was the 263rd pick of the 2002 draft by Columbus and, according to the Internet Hockey Database played four games for Val d’Or of the Quebec League in the late 1990s. He led the Russian circuit in scoring last season with 76 points.

What's even more interesting is who is not on the list -- one Nikolai Zherdev.  A quick check on HockeyDB.com shows he's got 3g, 13a for 16p in 21g.

Alexie Yashin and Maxim Sushinsky lead the league with 31 points each.

* The Crunch lost yet another last night to Albany by a final score of 5-2.  Picard and McBride collected the goals for Syracuse.  The Crunch's record now sits at 5-8-2 which is last in the East Division.

* The Men's Hockey Buckeyes got some good news this week as they snagged a couple of solid recruits from the BCHL:

Defenseman Curtis Gedig and forward Alex Szczechura have signed NCAA National Letters of Intent and will join the Ohio State men's hockey team beginning in 2010-11, Buckeye head coach John Markell announced Tuesday.

Gedig was a 7th round selection of the Devils last season.

* The Business First poll that is asking how important it is that Columbus retains the Blue Jackets isn't even close.

With 11,111 votes at the last time I checked the break down is:

86% - very important
9% - somewhat important
2% - not important
3% - not important at all

Good to see most folks who put a second worth of thought into this recognize the important of this team to this city.

-LTL

The Jackets kick off their longest road trip of the season tonight in the Big D.

Dallas is off to a solid start going 9-5-6 and are coming off a big road win in Detroit last night.

The Jackets are on a nice little roll of their own going 3-1 in their 4 game home stand.

Tonight's tilt should be a good matchup.. at least on paper.

OFFENSE
Dallas has played 1 more game than the Jackets and have scored 4 more goals.  That pretty much tells us right there how close these two offenses are.

At look at the stats for Dallas and it's James Neal (love this dude!) and Brad Richards who are racking up the points with 22 each.  They have some solid support as well with guys like Ribeiro, Morrow and Eriksson with 14 or more points.  They've got two solid scoring lines than can get it done with that group.  Not a whole lot from the backend however with Robidas checking in as the leader with 10 points.

For the Jackets it continues to be Nash with 24 points then everyone else.  Vermette sits with 15 points and then it's Juice and Voracek each with 12 a piece.  The Jackets have similar production to Dallas on their blueline with Stralman leading the blueline men with 11 points.

Dallas has the better top 2 lines but I think Columbus has the better overall group of forwards from 1st line to 4th - especially with Torres back in the lineup as he's expected to be.

Edge: Push

DEFENSE
Dallas hasn't been as prone to the blowouts as the Jackets have this year.  Their 58 goals against have been spread pretty evenly over their 20 contests.  They are mid pack giving up 2.7 goals per game.

The Jackets as we know have been very prone to giving up goals in bushels this season and that is very evident by their 68 goals against yet they are still 5 games over .500.  They check in at 28th in the league giving up on avg 3.42 goals per game.

I like Dallas' consistency on their backend but we know if the Jackets come to play their game they can definitely take care of business in their own end.  The question is which defense will we see from the Jackets?  The one against Detroit or the one against Anaheim, Carolina and Edmonton?

Hopefully the latter... at least it better be if they expect to contain this group top 6 forwards.  Neal and Morrow play physical to that group while guys like Richards, Riberio and Eriksson bring that skill flare to the lineup -- a nice mix.

Edge: Stars

GOALTENDING
Very interesting that the Stars decided to hold out Turco last night and save him for the Jackets.  It's almost like they were conceding a loss to the Wings who are very difficult to beat at home and stacking their deck for Columbus.  Well whatever the strategy was it worked as the Stars handed the Wings their first regulation home loss of the season last night.

So now the Jackets get Turco and his 2.24 GAA and .920 Save%.

As for the Jackets just when I think I have Hitch figured out he throws another curveball.  I'll go on record now and say I completely disagree with starting Mason in this game.  Garon is hot and I'm a firm believer you ride the hot hand until it cools off.  Mase is still the #1 guy but it's a long season and there is absolutely no denying his struggles this year.  Just look below:

You've got to play the guys who give you the best chance to win (that's what we're told on Filatov right?) -- I believe Garon is the guy at the moment.

Edge: Stars

SPECIAL TEAMS
The Jackets 7th ranked PP has been it's lifeline this year.  Who could have ever guessed that comin in eh?  They'll need it to continue.

Dallas' PP isn't bad sitting at 18th.

On the flip side Dallas' PK checks in 14th while the Jackets continue to struggle at 24th.

Dallas again is the more well rounded of the two but if the Jackets can stay out of the box (big "if") and strike when Dallas is in it this game is theirs for the taking.

Edge: Push

X FACTOR
Here's an interesting stat I read on CBSSports.com -- the Stars have only won two games in a row once.  This will be the tail end of a back 2 back in which they traveled from Detroit to Dallas.  They also have a subpar home record of 3-2-3.

The Jackets have no excuses.  They are rested and are getting healthy.  They must take advantage of all this and continue these negative trends for the Stars.

Not allowing Dallas to lead after the first period won't hurt either.  They have an .800 winning percentage when hitting the locker room up after the first 20.

Would also like to see Derick Brassard get back on track tonight.  This is the team whom the Jackets lost Brassard for the season after 25 games last season.

GO JACKETS!!

-LTL

(NOTE: I wrote this a few days ago.. It isn't much so read at your own risk!)

After taking a few days to digest the latest news from this arena lease issue I've come to one conclusion:

Brace yourselves!

I won't get into the dirty details of the issue as those have been aired all over North America the past few days but the bottom line is that current ownership is not willing to stand idly by and lose millions upon millions of dollars.

If they numbers they say are correct, which they say is upwards of 12 mil a year, then who can blame them?

Those hoping for a quick resolution to this mess should hope for the best but prepare themselves for the worst.  These things never seem to get fixed quickly or quietly.

The Jackets were trying to get something done out of the public eye but those efforts were dashed once the lobbyist got wind of their "sin tax" plan a few months back and squashed it.

Unfortunately the public eye has now turned into a black eye for the entire Columbus Blue Jackets organization.  Articles are sprouting up like Penguins bandwagon fans questioning if Columbus can support an NHL team and what good is the cap that the league cancelled an entire season to obtain if small markets continue remain on life support?

The good news is that I'm hearing from more and more non-hockey fans who, despite their lack of interest in the hockey, recognize the tremendous value the Jackets have brought to Columbus.

One of those is a man by the name of Jay Dasecendo.  Jay describes himself as "not much of a sports fan" but has recognized the importance of this team to Columbus.  So much so he created a facebook group called "Save Our Blue Jackets!".

What's next in this fight?

The Jackets have one hammer and that is to sell and move the team.  Last week the Jackets pulled out that hammer when they, along with the Columbus City of Commerce, released a report that details the options to retain the Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ) and continue the economic development of the Arena District and surrounding areas.

Words like "loss", "retain" and "challenged" have entered the discussion.

While the hammer is out the Jackets haven't swung it yet.  They are saying all the right things like their focus isn't on moving or selling the team but to fix their issues and keep this team in Columbus.

Make no mistake though that as this thing gets dragged out, and chances are high it will get dragged out, the hammer is going to fall.  That hammer will be in the form of the Jackets courting out of town buyers who will be intent on moving the team.

Unfortunately this his how the game is played.  Politicians tend to not take issues like these serious until the situation becomes desperate and dire.  Someone will then swing in and be the hero.

It would be nice if the power players could huddle in a room and knock this out and save everyone the energy and emotions that come with the thought of losing something we all love.  Perhaps that may be happening as I type this.  Based on previous situations in other cities (see Pittsburgh as a prime example) I'm skeptacle anything happens soon.

I truly believe something will eventually get worked out as their is just too much as stake for everyone.  Nationwide has a 1 billion dollar investment in the Arena District to protect.  Columbus has thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue that could vanish.  The Jackets, after 8 long years of losing, finally have some traction with what was a quickly eroding fanbase with a young and upcoming team whose window is just now opening.

There is a very good and real example that I think everyone should grab a hold of when they eventually sit down and try to work out a deal to fix this thing.  Not much good came out of the 04-05 lockout that saw the NHL become the first professional league in North America to lose an entire season but we did get a glimpse of what the Arena District looked like without it's pro sports team - and with empty establishments and half priced real estate - it wasn't a pretty sight.

The challenge at this point is to keep the momentum going both on and off the ice.  The team has to continue to perform while those off the ice have to keep the fire burning until a resolution is found.

Ownership has to do it's part to continue to ice a competitive team and I hope for their sake this whole thing isn't just a ploy to divest itself of the team.  To that point it certainly wouldn't hurt if we heard a few quotes from John P. McConnell on the subject.

Nationwide and other business leaders have a tremendous stake in this as well and have to be creative in their approaches to resolve this problem.  I'm not a believer that this is only Nationwide's problem to solve.  Many businesses have benefited from the Arena and District they funded not only from the events it's attracted but also in terms of how the general perception of Columbus has changed.  This needs to be a joint effort from all the major private leaders in this town.

The politicians certainly have a role to play and like it or not, to be a major league town the reality is teams need some form of public support to survive.

Finally as fans we all have an important part to play.  Buy tickets.  Bring new fans to the games.  Spread the word.  Wear your Jackets gear with pride.  Contact your county commissioners and let them know how important this team is to you.  Word around the camp fire is that commissioner John O'Grady is the biggest supporter to get this fixed of the three county commissioners so This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and get in his corner.  Let the other two know when election times comes and this thing isn't fixed that they will not be receiving your vote.

Brace yourselves everyone.  This ride could get a lot more bumpy.

-LTL

Just a quick hit about a poll Business First is running asking "How important is it that Columbus retains the Blue Jackets hockey franchise?".

Be sure to cast your vote here.

Thanks to Eric Smith's twitter for the pointer.

Post on the arena comin up.

-LTL

Pic grabbed from a poster over on HF:

Also here are a couple of other reads on the subject:

ESPN checks in with Filatov, Jackets may both benefit from agreement.

Puck-daddy already snagged an interview called Filatov: Why I'm leaving Columbus for Russia.

For those who have read enough about Nikita and want a laugh don't miss Mattlund's Text Message Interview With Ken Hitchcock.

-LTL

With all the talk about Filatov being a "turnover machine" I wanted to see what the official stats were on it.

In 13 games Filatov has been credited with 2.. that's right... a whopping 2 giveaways.  There are only 6 players on the team who have turned it over less -- Sestito, Murray, Boll, Dorsett, Pahlsson and Commodore.

In contrast Kristian Huselius leads all Jackets with 11 in 15 games.  Methot has 8.  Nash, Chimera and Russell all have 7.

While I was at it I checked out some other stats that often represent the "competitive level" of a player.

Okay so what about takeaways?

Filatov was credited with 0 takeaway which was tied for the worst on the team.  Nash leads with 11 while Juice was second with 9.  Pahlsson, Vermette and Voracek all with 7 each.

What about hits?

In those 13 games Filatov had 5 hits.  In contrast Voracek has just 7 while a guy like Juice has been credited with 2.

Blocked shots?

Filatov checks in with 2 which is tied with guys like Chimera, Brassard and Juice.

What does this tell us?

First off stats never tell the entire story -- I'm well aware of that.

However when I look at these and see similar style player like a Huselius who have substantially more give-aways, less hits and the same amount of blocked shots and I'm again left scratching my head over this whole thing.

Juice is different in a lot of ways than Filatov.  He's a 9 year NHL vet.  He's got a hefty contract with 2 years left.  He's certainly more polished in all zones than Filatov and has that experience. That doesn't change the fact that if Hitch can work with a Euro player like Juice who does a lot of things similar (good and bad) to Filatov out there, then what gives with Filatov?

That is what I'm trying to figure out and haven't been able to.  I have heard that he isn't ready for the NHL.  Why is that?  What in his game isn't ready?  The hitting? The physical play?  The maturity both mentally and physically? Is it because he's Russian?  Is it because he's a rookie?

If the answer is the hitting and physical play then I call BS.  Heck Juice still isn't ready for that either.  They aren't those kinds of players.

If it's because he's a Russian or a rookie then that is nonsense.  If he can play then who cares where he's from and at some point every player is a rookie.

If its the maturity then that is something I can get behind.

Like most of you I watch every CBJ game... heck I watch most of em twice (yeah I'm a nerd like that).  Filatov has his issues, I mean he is a 19 year old rookie -- they all have issues.  As much as I have tried to find these major flaws in his game that warranted this treatment I just haven't seen it.  That always made me think it had to be something off the ice with this kid or that there is an incredible double standard here that I find unacceptable.

Changing gears for a sec - I have a big post about this Arena problem that I've been waiting to publish.

I have to laugh a bit now because the media storm around that has faded so quick to the point I wonder if anyone wants to read it!!

That seems to be one of the biggest hurdles here.. how do you keep interest high to get this thing resolved?

FIRE AWAY - Filatov is a hot topic these days so let's hear your thoughts!!

-LTL

The latest news is that indeed 2008 #6 overall pick Nikita Filatov is headed back to Russia to play for CSKA Moscow of the KHL.

I won't rehash everything I've covered on Filatov up to this point as you can find that here.

What I do want to say is that no matter how the organization tries to spin this Nikita Filatov's departure back to the KHL is a significant failure on many levels and nobody will escape blame.

This is the first major blemish of the Scott Howson era.  He made the ultimate call on Filatov and he was well aware at the time of the flight risks that are now associated with drafting Russian players.  If you step back and analyze this one could argue that Howson aloud this kid to force himself on the roster instead of insisting that once it was clear that Hitch wasn't going to play him that he go back to the AHL.  Regardless of the current circumstances to lose the #6th overall pick for nothing to the KHL is horrendous asset management that could potentially set this franchise back a few years.

Hitch does not get out of this unscathed.  There is a clear double standard that exists between his younger and older players.  My guess is he'd probably admit to that.  Can he honestly look himself in the mirror and say he gave this kid a fair shake?  That his leash wasn't unfairly short at times?  Was he really that bad or was he under a bigger microscope than most?  When I look at how Brass and Jake were treated last year versus Filatov this year or how a turnover machine like Huselius is treated  -- the answer is no.

Filatov himself also needs to take a hard look in the mirror.  This move puts his character front and center.  Sure he's got talent but he's also got baggage.  Things didn't go his way so instead of gutting it out he chooses the easy way out and bolts for the comfort of home.  A spot in the NHL is a privilege and not a gift.  You have to earn your spot every day and every shift.  I don't care if you're the #1 ranked prospect in the NHL or not... a spot in the NHL is not handed to you.  Did he do everything he could?  Was he focused both on and off the ice?  With the rumors that he's out painting the town until the wee hours of the morning along with the fact that when the tough got going he bolted that answer is a clear no.

As much blame as there is to go around when you take a step back you can also see their positions.

During that draft Howson and the Jackets interviewed Filatov on numerous occasions.  They put in their work on the kid and he said and did all the right things.  True to his word Filatov was not under contract to anyone.  He also said he would play where ever they wanted him to in that first year - and he did in the AHL.  There was also a clear top 6 in that draft before what was perceived to be a big drop-off -- the Jackets picked 6th and took what was left which was Filatov.  The pick was applauded by many, including myself, at the time.

Hitch's position is pretty simple to figure out.  He's not in the development business.  He's in the winning business.  He is going to play the players he thinks gives him the best chance to win.  He lives in the day to day and his job is to put notches in the win column.  It's about the team and not individuals.  It's not about coddling a young Russian offensive dynamo.  This team is finally past the build and rebuild modes and is in win-now mode.  All he has to do is point to the 11-6-2 record for proof.

I don't think it's very difficult to see Filatov's position on this either.  He stuck by his word and put in the time last year in the AHL.  He sees the double standard between himself and other young and veteran players.  He sees every single player drafted in front of him playing a regular shift in the NHL.  He feels like he's got the talent to play in this league but he feels like it's being squeezed out of him.  He's not playing alot and he's playing not to make a mistake. As soon as he does he's on the bench.  He's saying screw it, if you don't want me then I'll go somewhere who does.  Remember this kid is only 19 and is playing in another country - could you imagine as a 19 year old making the kind of life change... on your own?

There are also miscalculations for each party.

The miscalculation on Howson was buying what Filatov was saying hook/line/sinker.  A lot of people at the time said drafting a Russian so early was just too big a risk.  Easy for me to say now right?  Remember they hadn't even unloaded their other Russian headache in Zherdev at the time.  Could be a very difficult lesson learned.

Hitch's miscalculation is that in the cap era every coach has to be able to develop talent on-the-fly.  For a franchise like Columbus it's especially important as we don't have the flexibility to sign big name free agents or spend to the cap.  Our elite talent has to be developed from within.  Sometimes that will mean the typical college/junior -> AHL -> NHL development route.. Sometimes it may mean straight to the NHL.  Sometimes it may mean some coddling.  He always talks about how players have to play in uncomfortable situations to succeed - why should the coach be any different?

Filatov miscalculated that based on draft status and his KHL leverage that he would be given significant time on this team.  The kid is a tremendous talent and I personally think has a better head on his shoulders than Zherdev - but in this league you have to earn everyone second you get out there.  If things don't go your way then don't run away -- you meet the challenge and overcome it.  His character has been exposed.  Again remember though, he's a young 19 year old kid --- think back to what you were doing at that age?

The end result of all of this is Nikita Filatov is KHL bound on a "one year loan".

Yeah right.

...and last year's called up from the AHL was to "experience the NHL playoffs".

Don't believe it folks.  I sure don't.

I believe Filatov has played his last game as a Jacket.

Sure people will say that it's good that he's at least playing somewhere and getting experience.  Or that it's good he's going to the KHL so he can experience first hand what he's missing in the NHL.  Gone will be the beautiful arenas, luxury hotels and first class flights.  Replaced with buses, old smelly locker rooms and cots in gymnasiums.

That may all be true but when he does return it won't be as a Jacket.  Not unless there is a coaching change which isn't going to and shouldn't happen.

Bridges have been burnt here that I don't think can or will be rebuilt.  You have the whole teammate trust issue, a coach/player relationship that won't recover and a player that I can't see willing to return to a situation that was clearly a bad experience.

I could be wrong.  Heck, bookmark this page and we'll find out in a year.

At this stage I think Howson has to try to salvage what he can from this situation.  It won't happen overnight but he's got to move this kid's rights for something.  It won't be easy to get quality for him because just 19 games into his rookie season this kid bolted -- who wants to take that risk or needs that headache?

He'll be patient like he always is and has the rest of this season and the offseason to pull something off.

Two players that come to mind are Kyle Turris in Phoenix and Luke Schenn in Toronto.

Turris is a center taken #3 overall pick in the 2007 draft and was supposed to be "can't miss".  He's struggled and finds himself in the AHL scoring 12 points in 17 games.  Perhaps there may be a fit there - a "change of scenery" trade.  We could certainly use another center prospect in the org.

Luke Schenn went #5 right before Filatov in '08.  He's had his share of struggles this season.  Toronto is loaded with d-men but doesn't have much offensively.  Brian Burke is not big on Euros however.

Both long shots but you'd hope there could be a 1:1 swap out there for a team desperate for some scoring talent.

And make no mistake about it fans - Filatov is going to be a scorer in this league.  When guys like Brule and Zherdev were traded I wasn't worried about them coming back to really bite the Jackets.  Trading Filatov, however, scares the hell outta me because I think this kid is a game breaker.

You know who is laughing about this right now?  The New York Islanders.  Why?  They were the team that got slammed for trading down and passing on this kid and now look at em.

We should start hearing the dirty details of this situation start leaking shortly.  Especially once the Russian media gets in touch with Filatov who has shown to be a very candid interview.

For now this distraction is gone and everyone can focus on the players that want to be here.

FIRE AWAY - thoughts on Filatov's future with the Jackets?

-LTL

UPDATE:

It's Official: Filatov Back To Russia

Blue Jackets rookie left winger Nikita Filatov is headed back to Russia, The Dispatch has confirmed. It's a one-year loan agreement with CSKA Moscow of the KHL.

Do you believe he's gone for good or is he back in 1 year ?? Share your opinion in the forum.

According to the dispatch: (Discuss in the forum)

Filatov Returning to Russia?

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.

Jackets general manager Scott Howson would not comment on a potential agreement allowing the 19-year-old Filatov to return to his former club team, CSKA Moscow. Nothing has been finalized, however, and Filatov and the Blue Jackets are expected to talk again today about the possibility of staying in Columbus.

At least one teammate has encouraged Filatov to give the situation more time before making a decision, a source said.

Neither Filatov, a healthy scratch last night against Edmonton, nor his agent Don Meehan would comment when contacted by The Dispatch. Hitchcock also declined comment.

Meehan, who represents several Jackets, was in town over the weekend.

If Filatov, the No. 6 overall NHL pick in 2008, does play for his old Continental Hockey League team it would be with the understanding that he could return to the Jackets next season, according to multiple sources.

The Jackets would retain Filatov’s NHL rights for several more seasons. He will still be a restricted free agent when his entry level deal expires after the 2011-12 season.

Read more here!