Ron Chenoy – USA TODAY Sports
As the Columbus Blue Jackets‘ season has progressed, they have frequently called on some of their young prospects who had been in the AHL with the Springfield Falcons. Some of these players have been able to make a big contribution for the team, and on Thursday defenseman Dalton Prout became the latest youngster to step up. Prout scored his first career goal in a losing effort against the Los Angeles Kings, and now has three points in the Blue Jackets’ past four games.
A sixth-round pick in the 2010 draft, Prout likely would have faced much longer odds to see full-time NHL duty were it not for the lockout-shortened season and a handful of injuries to Blue Jackets starters. In 40 games for the Falcons, he had one goal and nine points but he has now almost equaled those numbers in the NHL with one goal and five points in 25 games. He is also a staggering plus-15, the best mark in that category on the team by a long shot (Mark Letestu is plus-7). He has also proven capable of handling 20 or more minutes of ice time per game, a nod to the coaching staff’s faith in him. With top prospect Ryan Murray likely to crack the roster next season, there will be some battles for the remaining spots on the blue line, and Prout is doing his best to make a solid case for his inclusion.
The Blue Jackets sit in the eighth spot in the Western Conference with three games remaining in the regular season. While the goaltending of Sergei Bobrovsky has been a huge reason for their success, players like Prout are proving they can step up and make contributions as well.
Jonathan Katje is an NHL senior writer for Rant Sports. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your circles on Google Plus.
