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Brady Lyle was a nice addition to the Wranglers’ defensive depth in 2023-24. He is a calm, collected and skilled defender who carries a sneaky slapshot that makes him a power play asset. While Lyle wasn’t able to play all season with Calgary due to injury, he still had an impactful year with the Flames affiliate.
The past
Brady Lyle was an OHL product of the North Bay Battalion then the Owen Sound Attack between the years of 2015-2019. He started his professional career in the AHL with the Providence Bruins in the 2019-20 season.
Prior to joining the Wranglers, Lyle had 139 games under his belt in the American Hockey League. In those games, he had 19 goals and 48 assists. His most productive year in the league was with the Springfield Thunderbirds in 2022-23.
The present
In his first season with the Calgary Wranglers, Lyle was fit right into the defence group. He played in nearly every game for the first half of the season before suffering an injury in mid-February. Up until that point, he was an imperative part of the power play, especially without the production they had out of Jeremie Poirier the season prior.
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He was getting back to playing shape towards the end of the regular season when he was back to full contact at practice. He did make it into the second last game of the regular season against the Abbotsford Canucks. However, the depth and individual performances they were getting out of their defenders in the post-season didn’t require a need to pull Lyle into the lineup. My suspicion was he was not at 100% yet and would only be called upon if necessary.
Regardless, he still finished the regular season third in points out of all 16 defenders that skated with Calgary last season. In the 47 games he played, he earned six goals and nine points. He led the blueliners in power play goals with four and that put him sixth on the team in this category when you factor in the forwards. Of his goals, one of them ended up being a game-winner.
The future
Lyle is one of few 2023-24 Wranglers players whose future for next year is known. Shortly after Calgary wrapped up their season, news of his signing in the KHL was released. He is taking time away from North America next year and is set to play with Dinamo Minsk out of Belarus.
I wouldn’t factor out a return to North American hockey in his future, but this will likely have him slot back into the AHL for a team looking for defenders. I wouldn’t completely rule out a return to the Flames organization, because who knows what the future holds. His role with the Wranglers this year and his level of play give them a good scouting report if they need someone of his skillset in the future.
