Dalton Prout
| Birthday: 1990-03-13 | Position: D |
| Eligible for draft: 2008 | Shoots: Right |
| Drafted: 2010 | Height: 6-2 |
| Acquired: 6th round (154th overall), 2010 | Weight: 201 lbs. |
Probability of Success
- B
History
2008-09: Dalton Prout skated in 65 games for OHL Barrie in his first full season with the Colts after splitting the previous season between Barrie and the Sarnia Sting. Prout had 6 assists and was third on the Colts with 98 PMs. He finished the season with a -11 plus/minus as Barrie finished third in its division and reached the OHL playoffs despite finishing under .500. In the five-game series with Mississauga St. Michael's he had 1 assist and 10 PMs with an even plus/minus.
2009-10: Prout had a coming out party in his fourth junior season. He skated in 63 games for the Barrie Colts, scoring 7 goals and 14 assists for 21 points along with 121 PIMs. He skated in 17 playoff games with 1 goal, 6 assists for 7 points and 20 PIMs.
2010-11: Prout returned to the OHL as a 20-year-old and began the season skating with Barrie before a mid-season trade to Saginaw. After going from the Colts, who would finish with the OHL's worst record, to eventual West champion Saginaw his offensive scoring pace and ice time dipped but Prout was able to play more of a two-way game. He scored 7 goals with 14 assists and was -8 with 55 PMs in 23 games with Barrie. In 29 games with the Spirit he scored 2 goals with 8 assists and was +5 with 44 PMs. Prout played in all 12 playoff games and had 2 goals and was +2 with 27 PMs as the Spirit reached the second round.
2011-12: Prout played five games with the Blue Jackets last year, but didn’t leave a lasting impression with no points scored. In Springfield, he tried to rebound and tallied 13 points (nine assists) before the season's end.
2012-13: Prout emerged as a reliable defender during the Blue Jackets' push for a Western Conferency playoff spot after being re-called by Columbus at the beginning of March. Seeing limited ice time early on, Prout frequently played over 20 minutes a game down the stretch along with partner Nikita Nikitin. In 28 games he had 1 goal with 6 assists and was a team-high +15 with 25 penalty minutes. The Blue Jackets finished tied with Minnesota with 55 points but missed out on the final playoff spot due to fewer regulation wins. Prout had 1 goal with 8 assists in 40 AHL games with Springfield and was +4 with 73 penalty minutes. The Falcons finished first in the Northeast Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. In six playoff games Prout had 1 assist and 14 penalty minutes with an even plus/minus.
Talent Analysis
Prout is a tough guy, who has no problem dropping the gloves. He has improved his defensive positioning and has no problem clearing out the crease.
Future
After getting his call to the NHL, Prout was able to make himself stand out and stick around. He is a very good complementary stay-at-home defender and should stick around as a bottom-four defenseman.
