Flames Top 25 Under 25: #23 – Tyler Wotherspoon

#23: Tyler Wotherspoon

Position: D

Age: 24

Team: Stockton Heat

Drafted: 2011 #57 (Round 2)

Last Year Rank: #17

Tyler Wotherspoon cracks the Top 25, but barely as he creeps in at #23. The hard hitting defenceman is trending in the wrong direction as prospects go. Wotherspoon’s point totals have dropped over the last 2 seasons, as his best year on the Flames farm was back in 2014-15. That year the Heat weren’t even in Stockton, they were in Adirondack where he played in 61 games and totaled 24 points (2G 22A).

Wotherspoon has seen limited time with Calgary over the last 4 seasons, with, once again, 2014-15 seeing the ice the most with 14 games with the Flames. Since then Wotherspoon has only played in Calgary 16 times, scoring 0 goals and notching only 1 assist.

While his offence is declining, he earned an “A” last season in Stockton and he was a +30 on a playoff team. The Flames drafted Jusso Valamaki this season and a draft pick taken that high, that plays defence, isn’t a good sign for a player like Wotherspoon. The Flames need a defenceman to round out their NHL lineup this season and if the last 4 seasons are any indication, it probably won’t be Tyler Wotherspoon. This could very well be a make or break year for the 24 year old defenceman as the Flames have players ready to step in with the big club.

(Stats Courtesy Elite Prospects)

by Mark Parkinson