Nikita Filatov should have his visa by next week

From Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch:

“We’re getting fairly close to getting clearance, in terms of him getting his visa,” Meehan said. “I would think by the end of the next week, he’ll get it. That’s the last conversation I had with a contract (at the U.S. Embassy).”

Meehan said Filatov will be on a plane to North America shortly after he gets the visa. He wants to be here in advance of training camp.

I asked Meehan if he’d heard any talk about the International Ice Hockey Federation’s investigation into Filatov and six other players who are moving between the NHL and the KHL, Russia’s new league. The chatter in NHL circles this week is that a ruling is due any day now.

Meehan has not heard a peep, he said. However, when I asked him if Filatov would wait for the ruling before heading to North America, he said: “No, no. He’s going to come anyways.”

Read the entire entry from Puck-rakers here.

Unless something comes out of nowhere, Filatov will be ready to roll on the first day of training camp for the Jackets.