Senators ups and downs: Week Nine

The Filly, Da Costa and Butler saga continues. I hope we exercise some patience with Da Costa and Butler. It may just take another year for those guys.

Filly will decide if he wants to stay… probably in the AHL until he grows into being able to use his skills.

When Regin comes back, it will be hard to justify keeping Filly around, and he’ll probably go back overseas.

But it’s beginning to look like he can’t quite get it done with the Senators. He hasn’t seemed to be able to make the most of his opportunity. I know that Varada (on Welcome to Your Karlsson Years) has on occasion criticised the club’s handling of Filatov, not without reason. Management and coaching both seem impatient with Filatov. The Sens are a rebuilding club, and a bit more patience with younger prospects might not hurt; indeed, it is necessary if they’re going to flourish in the years to come.

On the other hand, compare Filatov’s reaction to his assignment to Bingo with Karlsson’s. Karlsson went and took his lumps and came back the better for it. From all accounts Filatov has been (not unnaturally) unhappy with being sent to Binghamton. Yet he was starting to strut his stuff down there, too. If he’d seen his assignment there as an opportunity to play top minutes, generate scoring chances and excel, he might have been able to win over MacLean et al.

True NHL players are alot more than just a sum of their individual talents. The ability to deal with stress, pressure, and adversity at a mental level is a growing up process.

The ability to be able to handle pressing yourself to produce, and receiving the same pressure from others around you largely determines how an NHL player will turn out.

Some take longer than others to develop, while some players just end up scoring alot of goals in the beer leagues.

Filly may just be one of those players who can relax and perform only when surrounded with the familiarlty of home around him.

It’s too bad, because MAN can he ever skate.

I’m not that sympathetic to Filatov. He was in an awful situation and Otatwa was his chance to ressurect huimself. Instead of being honest with himself, he and his agent agitated for a meaningful audience at the top level before he was completely ready. Self awareness, willingness to address your own shortcomings and knowing exactly what is expected of you are all on him, not Ottawa. He forced their hand, apparently too soon relative to hsi development, and he’s falling short as a result.

How should Ottawa have handled him? If you take as an assumption that he had fundamental flaws in his game, as a result of being rushed/poorly coached/whatever, then not coddling him and telling him to straighten out his game is an honest, adult approach.

I like the idea of rotating them on Spezza’s right wing. A little healthy competition might spur one or the other to start producing.

I am sure it’s not easy. You have to manage 2 plans (winning and rebuilding)… it’s not like it’s only 1 or 2 players being developed, it’s a decent chunk of the team.

Regardless of how some people feel Filatov is being treated, I am sure it’s more complicated than what we see. Regardless, both MacLean and Murray have a lot of experience in player development. So I still trust them in the handling of Filatov. I just really hope Filatov remains patient and plays this year out. I don’t see how it benefits his chance at a successful NHL career going to Russia at this point. He needs to play this year out, be open to learning whatever he can whether his is in Ottawa or Bingo, use critisim as constructive and then see where all that takes him.

It’s very interesting to see Da Costa tearing it up in Bingo. Maybe he’ll come back rejuvenated.

has all-world talent (not really sure what that means…).
I have no doubt he’ll be a solid, scoring NHLer for many years.

I’m stoked to see Filatov play tonight (if he’s in). The clock is ticking no doubt, but I’m really pulling for him.

I’d like to see him produce, gain confidence and live happily ever after.