Dante Salituro
Date of birth: 11/15/1996
Place of birth: Don Mills, ON, Canada
Ht: 5’9″ Wt: 175 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: C
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2016 2nd year eligible
Other Rankings:
NHL Central Scouting NA Skaters (Midterm): 106
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Will Second Time Be Charm For Salituro?
Salituro knew what he was up against. He had the skills. He had the numbers. But he didn’t have the size. Standing at just 5-foot-8 last season, Salituro knew there was a chance that he would go undrafted. As it turns out, he did go undrafted. Many outlets had him projected as a late-round pick given his skills. Teams were afraid of his size.
Despite that, Salituro’s play caught the eye of the Columbus Blue Jackets. They invited him to their training camp. He was the talk of camp. Assistant GM Bill Zito said in an interview that Salituro impressed him. He brought energy and passion that many fans noticed right away. Many thought this would lead to an entry-level contract.
When #67s F Dante Salituro notched his 250th OHL point, he joined some impressive company. To name a few … https://t.co/3fmEJLdX7u
— Ottawa 67’s (@Ottawa67sHockey) March 2, 2016
Dante Salituro's point streak is snapped at 13 games. He has 7 goals & 12 assists in that time frame. #67s #2016NHLDraft
— Kat (@msconduct) February 20, 2016
The Blue Jackets made Salituro one of their last cuts. There was significant interest in him given how long he stayed, but ultimately the team let him go. Teams wanted to see if he could continue his torrid pace, while seeing if he would get bigger. He’s up to 5-foot-9 this season, and is down 10 pounds, mostly due to gaining muscle.
Salituro has the skills of a top-60 pick. He can make defenders look foolish, whether he skates past them, or sets up his teammates. He plays a fearless game and leaves it all out on the ice. His shot is deceptive, as it catches many goalies sleeping given how quick it comes at them. He likes making high-risk plays with the puck, whether it’s a no look pass, or a long pass. He’s always thinking offense.
He still needs work on the defensive end, but it’s better than it was at this time last year. He needs to continue getting stronger for this area of his game to reach his potential.
NHL Draft Projection:
Many thought someone would take a flyer on him late in the 2015 draft, but did eventually go undrafted. Given that he’s put up similar numbers and has grown some, someone will look at him late in the draft.
Quotables:
Salituro was often overshadowed by Travis Konecny this year in Ottawa and this is unfair. He is undersized, but very smart, fast and loves to generate offense. His 78 points this season led the 67’s in scoring. His 3rd season in the OHL was his best and showed his ability to play physical as well. Amassing 76 penalty minutes. Salituro is a player who could explode next season in the OHL, hitting 100 points is not out of the question.
-Eliteprospects.com
Superb short stocky centre who is a top skater that can make plays at top speed. Dynamic top end skater with great jump and dangle at breakneck speed. A great skater whose balance makes tough to knock him off the puck. Any loose puck has a chance of being his because he works hard to unearth them and make chances for his team. A battler who doesn’t seem to view himself as the smaller guy and it can hurt him. He is so surprisingly quick and has a very deceptive shot. His puck skills let him set up his linemates, and he makes sure he is in position in the defensive end. Works hard, and leads by example. He is more of a long term prospect because he needs lots more core strength and then he will become a bigger threat.
-Bill Placzek (Draftsite.com)
Statistics:
Strengths:
Elusiveness
Shot
Speed
Relentless worker
Faceoffs
Vision
Hockey Smarts
Under Construction (Improvements to Make):
Size
Strength
Overall Defense
NHL Potential:
With just his skills alone, he projects as a third-line player with upside due to his offensive ability and success at winning faceoffs. If he gets stronger and develops core strength, the sky is the limit for Salituro.
NHL Player(s) Comparison – Brendan Gallagher
Risk-Reward Analysis:
Risk: 4.5/5 Reward: 3.5/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential:
Offensive: 7.5/10 Defensive: 4.5/10
Awards/Achievements
2015: Won OHL Player Of The Week In First Week Of Playoffs
Interview/Profile Links
Interview With McKeen’s Hockey
Salituro – The Sleeper of All Sleepers (Penalty Box Radio)
Videos:
Shots From the Slot:
Salituro told me earlier in the season that he thought Columbus would sign him last season. He was clearly disappointed with the outcome, and used it as motivation for this season to get better. He did use his time at Blue Jackets camp as a learning experience for this season, and is ready to prove it to everyone.
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THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph
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