BY SCOTT HADDOW
The Sudbury Wolves continue their rise back to being a
contender in the OHL on Thursday morning as they pick first
overall in the 2008 CHL Import Draft, and could land an impact
player.
The Wolves have spent a great deal of time scouting the European market of young hockey prospects and are ready to make their selection.
Rumours have been nothing short of wild as to just who exactly the Wolves are going to grab.
The consensus around OHL circles is Sudbury could pick Russian star Nikita Filatov, who was selected sixth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
The Wolves franchise sent out a media release on Tuesday with references to Filatov.
In April, the Wolves top brass, comprised of head coach and GM Mike Foligno, vice president Blaine Smith and governor Mark Burgess, went to Russia to watch top European players compete in tournaments.
When pressed about the selection, Foligno humorously dodged who the team would actually take.
"We're going to take a European player, for sure," Foligno said with a laugh.
The CHL Import Draft starts at 9 am sharp and teams have 15 minutes to make their selection.
The Wolves know the player they take could have the potential to be an immediate impact player for the team this upcoming season.
"It's a great opportunity...we paid the price to be in this position," Foligno said. "We've done a lot of homework in a lot of areas. That's why we went to Russia earlier this year...to see the best players available in Europe. There's no question the player we take could be an impact player. It's been a lot of hard work...more than one could imagine when you're just drafting two players."
Through their pre-draft work, the Wolves already know who they will take, but will not reveal the selection until Thursday morning.
"We're firm on one player...he's an impact player," Foligno said.
If the Wolves pick Filatov, Sudbury fans are in for a big treat according to scouting reports and the play of the Russian in well known tournaments.
Filatov is a six-foot, 170-pound forward who has 32 goals, 66 points and 90 penalty minutes in 34 games with Moscow CSKA-2 of the Russian-3 league.
At the 2008 World Junior Championships, Filatov put on a skills clinic by producing four goals and nine points in seven games and helping Russia earn the bronze medal.
Various scouting reports on Filatov have him labelled as a top talent with incredible skill, great leadership qualities, a strong work ethic and aggressive play.
Filatov speaks fluent English and has stated he wants to play in North America in 2008-09.
By no later than 9:15 am Thursday morning, the wait will be over and the Wolves will have their latest piece to the puzzle as they attempt to become a winning franchise again.
Check back to NorthernLife.ca on Thursday korning to see who the Wolves selected and Foligno's thoughts on the player and what he will mean to the team.
