Player’s Name: Nikita Filatov
Player’s Current Team: Columbus Blue Jackets
Player’s Current Address: Columbus Blue Jackets, Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., Suite Level, Columbus, OH 43215
Date Sent out: 10/17/08
Date Returned: 4/10/09 (175 days)
Why go after this autograph: It took almost a half of a year to get this one back, but I am sure glad I got it. For those of you who don’t know who Nikita is, he is basically a scoring dynamo if played correctly. One of the better young snipers in the league (he is only 18). This year he had only 4 goals, but three of them came in one game (including 2 in a 2 minute stretch). He will become a big part of this Columbus team. He spent most of the season with Syracuse of the AHL, where he went 16-16-32 in 39 games. He needs to find a spot in the top six for Columbus for him to put up some big numbers. Since Nash is also a sniper, I would think they would move Filatov to the 2nd or 3rd line next year. Pairing him with Voracek would make an unbelievable line. Wonder if that’s what Ken Hitchcock is thinking for next year. The Blue Jackets put up a great season this year and made the playoffs for the first time in team history, imagine what they could do if Filatov lives up to his hype.
Any Current Certified Autographs Available: There are only 2 that I could find on eBay right now, below I posted them. They run anywhere from $8 – $17 on eBay and might be a steal if he lives up to his billing.
