Dante Salituro is a player that has been on the Blue Jackets radar for a while now. He had a very strong season his draft year in 2014-15, scoring 78 points in 68 games with the Ottawa 67’s. He went undrafted but was invited to Traverse City by the Blue Jackets and played great, earning an invite to NHL training camp. He was not given a contract by the Jackets that off-season as they wanted to see how he developed over another season in the OHL.
Salitruo clearly did everything the Jackets wanted this past season. Despite going undrafted again, he signed an entry level contract with the Jackets shortly after the draft. He could play another year in the OHL as an overage player but he looks ready to challenge for a spot in the AHL.
What has held Salituro back from being drafted, and thought of as more of a top prospect is his size. He’s list at only 5’8, but watching him on the ice you wouldn’t know it. He plays very hard, not afraid to go into the corners or battle in front of the net. He routinely lined up as the slot guy on Ottawa’s power play. He has a very strong set of skills particularly a strong shot and even better set of hands. He can stickhandle around some of the best defencemen in the OHL. He is a smart player with really strong anticipation for the game. When I’ve seen him I’ve always been impressed with the way he intercepts passes in the neutral zone. He seems to have that knack of knowing where the other team is trying to go.
This was a building year for Ottawa who dealt away superstar Travis Konecny mid-season. Salituro was the lone offensive star on his team and always saw the top defensive lines and pairings. Despite the increase in competition he thrived. He led his team in scoring by a wide margin. His 83 points ranked 13th in the OHL and were 27 more than the 67’s second leading scorer. His 1.28 points per game were only second to Konecny who only played in 29 games with Ottawa.
Future Outlook
Salituro is one of the more skilled prospects in the Blue Jackets system. He will need a couple seasons in the AHL to further develop. He has some flaws in his game, notably his skating and defensive play. Ideally he would be playing in a top six role for the Monsters but that is unlikely to happen right away with the talent they have up front. Playing a more sheltered bottom six role is a good way for him to learn and adjust to the AHL game. He should be a player that will score goals and with the right line-mates pick up plenty of assists. He won’t be a go to player for the Monsters this upcoming season, but the following season, it wouldn’t shock me at all if he was one of the best players on the team.
Age: 19 (11/15/96)
Position: C/RW
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 5’8″, 174lbs
2015/16 Team: Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
Likely 2016/17 Destination: Cleveland Monsters (AHL)
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