Howson: "Filatov Worth the Risk"

Can't get enough of this guy?

Well I've got more for you:

“We loved Filatov,” Maloney said. “My worry was not now – he wants to play here, he's a good player, he speaks English. My worry is three years from now. When you hear the numbers they're talking about with Malkin, we worry that after three years in the league, if someone like him becomes a star, how are we going to keep him?”

 

That was a real concern for the franchise—the threat of him leaving!

Scott Howson, the Blue Jackets' General Manager, who selected Filatov sixth, overall, conceded the new Russian league “is a threat for sure.

They're going to take players and obviously they're going to put pressure on good Russian players. But we went through a pretty thorough process with Nikita.

We tested him many ways and went back and talked to people, and his story has been consistent:

He wants to play here.

“It's a leap of faith for us, but we believe in him, we trust him and we think he does honestly want to play here.”

Even at the cost of the sixth overall pick in a deep entry draft, Filatov was worth the risk?

“He was for us,” Howson said. 

 

 

 

First, thanks to Skraut for pointing this article out.

There are three things that I find very interesting about it.

1.      In one breath the GM of the Coyotes says his worry is three years from now about Filatov.

Okay - valid point - one I can see.

However, the Coyotes drafted a Russian 28^th overall in Viktor Tikhonov, but he justifies that one by saying that they see him as a "Californian kid playing in Russia.”

If Tikhonov becomes a star, mark my words, “this kid could also use Russian as leverage come negotiations.”

Bottom line in this new CBA be it Canadian, American, Russian or Vietnamese— if you start putting up the points before your rookie contract expires these kids are going to get paid so GMs need to prepare themselves for that possibility.

2.      With the eighth overall pick, the Coyotes chose, Mikkel Boedker out of Kitchener, of the OHL.

Here's the interesting part:

Boedker is Danish.

With the IIHF transfer agreement terminated for all countries that say Boedker couldn't play in Russia or a Swiss league or some other league closer to home— or use it as an advantage?

3.      There is no doubt that on the surface, Howson took a bit of a gamble in Filatov, especially given the situation with Russia and of course our own Zherdev.

Going into the draft I did not think they'd take him.

It almost seems a bit unlike Howson to take the risk.

Everything I hear from Howson and this kid is that he's 100% committed to playing over here.

I mean at the end of the day what young Russian star has ever gone back to Russia?

Ovechkin, Datsyuk, Zherdev?

We've heard the rumblings on Malkin, but all indications now point towards him staying in the NHL and signing a huge contract with the Penguins.

Howson and the Jackets made the right pick.

They had to take what many services called the second best player in the entire draft at six.

Heck, Howson and Co. had him rated No. 3 on their list.

There were six top talents in this draft, and at six, the Jackets took the final one.

Sure there is some added risk there but that is why he slipped to six.

I believe Howson, when they say they did their homework on this kid, will become the superstar we all hope he will.

Its not like this team is overflowing with superstars at the moment.