"The Blue Jackets' inability to land many elite players with their first-round draft picks has crippled the organization in its first decade. One hole was patched, the Jackets hope, by Thursday's trade for center Jeff Carter from Philadelphia.

But the club's draft woes were illustrated again yesterday during the second day of the NHL draft in the Xcel Energy Center.

Left winger Nikita Filatov, the No.6 overall selection in 2008, was traded to the Ottawa Senators for a third-round pick (No.66).

Filatov had requested a trade 10 days ago, Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson said, but he could have saved his agent the phone call - Howson said he planned to trade him anyway.

"It was just time for everybody to move on," he said. "I wish him the best."

Neither Filatov nor his agent, Don Meehan, responded to requests from The Dispatch seeking comment.

Filatov joins a long list of Jackets players who have fallen short of expectations or flamed out way too quickly.

Of the Blue Jackets' nine first-round picks from 2000 to '08, only two - Rick Nash and Derick Brassard - are still with the organization. None of them came and went quicker than Filatov.

In a three-day span, Howson has traded three first-round draft picks - Jakub Voracek and this year's pick (sent to Philly for Carter), and now Filatov.

"It's not a great move," Howson said of the Filatov deal. "It's not something you want to do. But I'm also a believer that we all make mistakes in this business. We move on from our mistakes. I'm not in any way saying Nikita is not going to play in the NHL. It just didn't work for Columbus."

Filatov, 21, has faced an uncertain future since he was sent to the minor leagues last November. His tenuous standing in the organization needed a remedy before next season."