Ottawa 67's Dante Salituro dazzles with toe-drag on beauty goal (VIDEO)
One does not blow too much smoke over a goal in preseason, when the defensive intensity is dialed down the real thing; nevertheless, Dante Salituro is affirming that NHL draft fans should be keeping an eye on Ottawa 67's for many more reasons beyond talented teammate Travis Konecny.
Salituro, over the second half of what was otherwise a lost season last winter for the 67's, began to penetrate into the high slot, the goal scorer's hot spot, with a lot more regularity. With another summer of growth behind him, Salituro is off to an impressive start in the exhibition season, as evidenced by the goal he scored in a 3-2 shootout win over the Kingston Frontenacs on Friday in Smiths Falls, Ont.
Salituro made one defender whiff at centre ice, then toe-dragged second-year defender Matt Watson before snapping a shot by goalie Jeremy Helvig. Nice show from the third-year forward who counted 22 goals and 59 points across 68 games last season on a team spent a disproportionate amount of time in the defensive zone.
The dynamic in Ottawa between all three of its draft-eligible speedsters, Konecny, Salituro and Russian newcomer Artur Tyanulin, could be some fun to watch. All three possess creativity and getaway speed; none of the trio is listed at more than 5-foot-10 or more than 178 pounds on the 67's current roster. Konecny, as a No. 1 overall choice out of minor hockey who's projected to be a top 10 pick, might have the higher ceiling. In the here and now, Salituro, who turns 18 in November, is a very canny centre who plays a relatively heavy game for a skill player.
Helping all three play to potential is a nice problem for new 67's coach Jeff Brown to have; the challenge is amplified by the fact all three are right-handed shots, too.
(Stick tap: Dave Pinkerton, TV Cogeco Kingston.)
