Flames select Cameron Whynot at 89th overall
By Ryan Pike
2 years agoThe Calgary Flames have made another pick at the 2021 NHL Draft. After trading down from 84th overall to 89th overall with the Los Angeles Kings – downgrading by five slots but gaining a sixth round pick – they have opted to select defenseman Cameron Whynot.
Whynot was ranked 148th by FC Hockey and 44th among North American skaters by Central Scouting.
He’s a 6’1″, 180 pound left shot defenseman from Nova Scotia. He’s playing with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, where he had six goals and 17 assists in 34 games last season, his second in the Q. He’s a May 2003 birthday.
Here’s a portion of FC Hockey’s scouting report:
Whynot is a fairly capable two-way defender who makes plays at both ends of the ice. He has a nice long stride, and his long legs help to propel him up and down the ice with good speed without having to overwork himself. That being said, he struggles to get his feet underneath him with any sort of speed, so most of his skating stride is due to the extended pushoff he gets from his long lower appendages. He really shows off his skating stride when he sees space for himself to drive the puck up ice. He possesses some solid transition ability and can find good lanes when he chooses to carry the puck up ice. He shows some solid poise on the blue line and he’s a competent power play distributor. He understands that his shot is likely not going to beat a goalie clean from the point, so instead he smartly tosses floaters through traffic and looks for tip opportunities.
Aside from his skating, Whynot doesn’t appear to have any big deficiencies. He also doesn’t appear to be excellent at anything, but he’s a well-rounded, physical defender who doesn’t seem like he’s a liability anywhere on the ice. If he can work on his mobility a bit, he’s a pretty good value selection late in the third round.
For the trivia buffs, the Flames traded the 84th pick (from the Milan Lucic trade) to Los Angeles for this pick and the 186th overall pick, so there will be a few assets to keep track of going forward when you debate the Lucic/James Neal swap with your Oilers fan friends and family.
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