"Nikita Filatov's name alone inspires a fair degree of intrigue.

The movie Nikita, later adapted to a TV series, was centred around a rogue assassin trying to shut down a secret United States agency. Then there was Elton John's 1985 Cold War-themed hit Nikita, looking at the life of former Soviet Union boss Nikita Khrushchev.

So, perhaps it's only fitting that Nikita Filatov is offering up a mysterious thriller of his own at the Ottawa Senators training camp.

Will he finally showcase the skill that led the Columbus Blue Jackets to select the slick Russian sixth overall in the 2008 draft? Could he possibly find a home on left-wing alongside Jason Spezza? Or, will Filatov be the same player he was in Columbus, a raw talent who butted heads with coach Ken Hitchcock at the outset and never became comfortable in the organization?"