Calgary signs Brady Lyle via free agency to a two-way contract
With a trio of young prospect defensemen likely ticketed to their minor-league team, the Calgary Flames added some more depth to the system by signing free-agent Brady Lyle to a one-year, two-way contract on Monday.
Lyle, 24, has spent the past three seasons in the AHL, first with the Boston Bruins organization and then with with the St. Louis Blues after being traded to the Springfield Thunderbirds in March 2022.
The 6-foot-3, 211-pound right-handed defenseman from North Bay, Ont., collected seven goals and 31 points in 51 games last season. His contract has a $775,000 salary cap hit at the NHL level, but he’s most likely to be with the AHL Calgary Wranglers, where he can add a physical and young veteran presence.
The Flames have three defensemen from the 2020 draft pegged to spend more time seasoning with the Wranglers, second-round pick Yan Kuznetsov, third-rounder Jeremie Poirier and seventh-rounder Ilya Solovyov.
The Flames, who have eight defensemen on one-way contracts, also have a couple of blueliners in their late 20s in Colton Poolman and Nick DeSimone who are also expected to be with he Wranglers.