COLUMBUS, OHIO --- Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dalton Prout underwent surgery today to repair a lingering abdominal injury and will miss the start of training camp next month, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. “Dalton has been experiencing some soreness for a number of weeks and after initial tests indicated a muscle strain, we discovered this week that there was actually a small tear and that surgery would be his best option,” said Kekalainen. “They typical recovery time for an injury like this is six weeks, so our hope is he will be ready by the start of the regular season.”
Prout, 23, tallied one goal and six assists for seven points with 25 penalty minutes and a +15 plus/minus rating in 28 games with the Blue Jackets during the 2012-13 season. He led the club in plus/minus rating, ranking second among NHL rookie defensemen in that category. He began the campaign with the American Hockey League’s Springfield Falcons before being called up by the Blue Jackets on March 1. A native of LaSalle, Ontario, Prout was Columbus’ seventh pick, 154th overall, in the 2010 NHL Draft. He has collected 1-6-7, 25 penalty minutes and is +16 in 33 career NHL games, while registering 5-17-22, 127 penalty minutes and a +3 plus/minus rating in 102 career AHL games.
