3. Nikita Filatov (1st round, #6 overall, 2008).
For the second time in five years, the Blue Jackets happily ran to the NHL Draft stage to take a talented Russian winger with an early first round pick. This time, they were burned even worse when they did so.
After Steven Stamkos, Nikita Filatov was touted by most as the next best forward in the entire draft. An early run on defensemen caused Filatov to fall into the laps of the Blue Jackets at 6th overall. At the time, we were really excited. In hindsight, maybe it would have been better if Luke Schenn had been the guy to fall.
Filatov was an electrifying player. With the puck on his stick, he could weave through traffic and score seemingly at will - at least, when it came to playing with his peers. He just needed a little bit of work, some confidence, and the trust of his coaches.
The issue is, the Blue Jackets were horribly mis-managed around this time. While the NHL team was being coached to play tight-checking, defense-first hockey; management was stepping up to the draft podium and picking one skilled forward after another. It was not a recipe for success.
So, when Filatov came to the NHL and started to showcase his talents; naturally, he immediately had his ice time cut. His confidence was shattered. The fit was completely wrong with Ken Hitchcock behind the bench. They wanted their young players to play a certain brand of hockey. And, well, Filly didn't do rebounds.
The echo of that comment still rings in my ears. The Jackets could have played the slow game with a lot of players in this situation, and Filatov is an example. They could have allowed him to develop at the lower levels while the NHL team ran its course. Eventually, it's inevitable: coaches move on, after all.
But, Nikita had the Russian card, and rather than staying in North America to learn the game here, he bounced back and forth between Columbus, Springfield (then the AHL affiliate) and Moscow. As a result, he never found consistency in his game and thus, saw his potential completely wasted away.
Eventually, the Jackets gave up on him; trading him to Ottawa in exchange for TJ Tynan. For his career, Nikita totalled 6 goals and 14 points in 53 NHL games. Not great for a guy who became the first Blue Jackets rookie to score a hat trick.
The only saving grace here is that the 2008 draft class was relatively mid as a whole. Looking at it now, Erik Karlsson became the best NHLer taken after Filatov - and he didn't go until pick #15. It was a crapshoot year. But, they would have been better off drafting a guy that would have actually fit into the style of hockey they were trying to play. Colin Wilson went 7th overall, and I could see him being a favorite of Hitch. Again, however: no plan was in place.
The next guy on our list is a player I saw live and up close in his draft year. I still can't believe he missed.