The Ottawa Senators have reassigned Nikita Filatov to Binghamton of the American Hockey League.
Filatov had been loaned to CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League with an agreement of a contract in place for Filatov to sign.
However, Filatov has yet to sign a KHL contract so he continues to occupy a roster spot and the Senators still have to pay him. He is costing the team both cap space as well as actual money on the team's payroll.
"I had a verbal agreement in place that I would loan him to CSKA in Moscow," Senators general manager Bryan Murray said. "I was told that we would get the documents signed and returned immediately (but) it didn't happen. I told them yesterday that if it didn't happen by this morning that I would reassign him to Binghamton and then decide what we'd do after that."
With no contract in place, Murray took the steps to assign the troubled forward back to the AHL.
Asked if he expected Filatov to report, Murray said no.
"I expect that we will make an arrangement, get the paperwork done, and that he will remain with the Red Army team," said Murray. "We just had to get him off our roster as far as numbers on the big team."
The Senators intend to suspend Filatov for not reporting, thereby removing him from the roster and eliminating his contract from the team's salary cap obligations.
The 21-year-old Russian has managed just one assist in nine games with the Senators this season. The team acquired him at the 2011 Entry Draft in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets in return for a third-round draft pick.
In 53 career NHL games, Filatov has scored six goals and eight assists. He was originally selected sixth overall by the Blue Jackets at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Filatov remains in Russia.
- With files from Brent Wallace
