 In September, the KHL dropped its opposition to Filatov's contract with the Blue Jackets, and he received his transfer.Filatov did not make the team after attending training camp with the Blue Jackets, instead making his North American professional debut for the Blue Jackets' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.On October 15, 2008, however, Filatov was called up to the NHL, playing in his first game and scoring his first goal with the Blue Jackets on October 17 against the Nashville Predators.