I have Filatov in one of my pools and was wondering if anyone has any info on where he will play next year?

Word is he is coming back to CLMBS - however there are also reumors he will get traded, perhaps to Vancouver?
Either way, he looks to be playing in NHL.

Right now is in Columbus and should be in their top 6. There have been rumours that he will be traded but 90% of the time a player doesn't get traded when there's a rumour about them. I think he will stay in Columbus.

I think he'll get a shot with CLB, but my preliminary research doesn't have him in the top-six.

Huselius-Umberger-Nash
Vermette-Brassard-Voracek

Who's he going to unseat in order to crack the top-six? He doesn't have the experience to unseat any of those guys at the moment.

Also if you look at the third line Moreau-Pahlsson-Clark, you would have to think that he won't even crack the Jackets top-nine for that matter.

The Jackets need to move someone and my guess is Huselius in order for Filatov to be productive this year, but that's only if they can move him for a reasonable price. I'm thinking they're better off keeping him in the KHL for 1 more season, so he can maximize his playing time, then bring him over next season.

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Dobber Expert Pool Champion 2011-12

I think Filatov forces Umberger out of the top 6, moving Vermette to center and Filatov to LW...

I think he probably stays in CLB, but who knows.

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Yahoo H2H League, 12 team - Keep all G,A,P,+/,PIM,PPG,PPA,PPP,SHP,GWG,SOG,FW,W,Sv,Sv%,GA,GA%,SH O

C: R. Getzlaf, J. Tavares, M. Duchene, M. Ribeiro, A. Burmistrov, T. Connolly
RW: C. Perry, C. Giroux, A. Hemsky, I. Kovalchuk, M. Ryder
LW: P. Datsyuk, H. Zetterberg, A. Tanguay, S. Gagne, M. Pacioretty
D: D. Keith, K. Yandle, J. Liles, J. Pitkanen, T. Kaberle, J. Garrison, D. Girardi
G: C. Price, K. Lehtonen

Okay thanks guys. I guess it's wait and see.

The problem is you don't force a $3.75 mil guy off a top-six role, especially when Filatov hasn't shown that he's capable at the NHL level just yet...

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Dobber Expert Pool Champion 2011-12

Ya, but you also don't wanna risk stunting a top notch prospects development by playing him on the 4th line just so you can play a 3.75 mil player who is also a fringe top sixer.

I was really hoping to either see Huselius or Filatov traded by now, because as it stands I don't think he'll get all the play time he needs. I guess we'll have to see how camp goes before drawing any conclusions though.

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12 Team H2H Semi Keeper (1 of each position + 1 rookie)

Scoring - G, A, P, PPG, PPA, SHP, GWG, +/-, FW, SOG, BLK, PIM
Goalies - W, GAA, SV%, SV, SHO

C - Malkin*, Roy, Weiss, Desharnais, Grigorenko
LW - Parise*, Hall*, Fleischmann, McDonald, S.Kostitsyn
RW - P.Kane*, Wheeler, Voracek
D - Doughty*, Wisniewski, J.Johnson, Wideman
G - Lundqvist*, Miller, Nabokov

Which is why I initially suggested that they keep him in the KHL for another year... and to be fair 55 points in a season while appearing in 32.01% of the entire Jacket's shifts last season doesn't equate to a fringe top-sixer, that's a definite top-sixer in my opinion.

And it's not about stunting a prospects development. Players need to be ready in order to be given a top-six role and aren't just given it based on being a top prospect or they just turn out to be busts from too high expectations. That plus the Jackets aren't forced to have to play Filatov in the top-six, like I mentioned, they have a pretty solid top-six even top-nine. Unless Filatov has completely changed his mentality from last year, I don't see him blowing Arniel over in order to secure a surefire top-six gig.

We all love to see Filatov bust out into a huge scoring role this season, but at the end of the day it all boils down to opportunity, and he won't get it with Umberger/Vermette making $7.5 mil in CLB.

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Dobber Expert Pool Champion 2011-12