It was great timing for Brady Lyle to catch up with current and former teammates on Monday.
Lyle along with teammates Justin Brazeau, Kyle Potts, and Adam McMaster along with former stars Mathew Santos and Jake Smith came together at the North Bay Battalion One Kids Place Charity Golf event which took place at the North Bay Golf & Country Club.
“It’s obviously nice to get out here and see the guys including Santos and Smitty and give me some time to relax before some big days ahead here,” said the North Bay native.
Monday was a day of relaxation in preparation for the biggest weekend of his life as Lyle hopes to hear his name called likely on Saturday at the NHL Entry Draft in Chicago.
Lyle finished his sophomore year with 4 goals and 21 assists for 25 points in 58 games with the Battalion in 2016-17. He says he’s spoken to some NHL teams but would not tip his hat as to where and when he expects to be selected.
“I don’t really want to say anything in case something does not happen or doesn’t go the way I hope it does so I am going to be quiet on that end,” said Lyle, who was rated 46th in the final North American Central Scouting rankings.
Colton Point, taken in the fifth round by the Dallas Stars in 2016, broke a long drought for North Bay players being selected at the big NHL event. Lyle is excited about making it two years in a row for North Bay players, but it’s also exciting for him to potentially be the first North Bay native from the Battalion, to be drafted.
“If I could be the first North Bay player with the North Bay Battalion and then get drafted that would be something really special and hopefully that happens with some of the guys we have taken in the draft here, it would be special and hopefully I can become a role model or example what needs to be done in order for that to happen,” said Lyle.
Lyle is among a trio of Troops who could hear their names called in the draft this weekend. Swedish import defender Adam Thilander is likely to be selected within the third to fifth round, while Justin Brazeau, who was overlooked last year but offered a spot at the Red Wings Prospect Camp last summer, may also be selected.
hockeyprospect.com scout Mike Mackley gives these scouting reports for the Battalion trio going into the NHL Entry Draft.
Brady Lyle
Brady Lyle is a mobile, two-way defender with intriguing physical attributes and good hockey sense. He is at his best in possession Lyle possesses the skating abilities and puck skills necessary to allow him to be a versatile threat. Lyle see's the ice very well and can make a hard, accurate first pass with his feet moving up ice. However, he also displays the ability to weave his way up ice and maintain possession into the offensive zone before creating a play. Lyle would, however, benefit from making quicker decisions when he enters the offensive zone as he can skate himself out of high percentage areas. A strong skater with impressive edges and four-way mobility, Lyle's feet allow him to elude forecheckers and create space to make plays. With slightly above average speed and a fairly good first step, Lyle can thrive in possession. In the offensive zone, Lyle's vision and passing skills allow him to create from his blue line position, while his feet often allow him to open shooting lanes, allowing him to release a powerful and accurate point shot. Brady defends well in transition, utilizing his mobility to contain, before poking pucks free with an active stick. Brady projects as a two-way defenseman with pretty good size and puck rushing ability. He needs to continue to get stronger and improve his ability to battle along the wall, playing a meaner, tougher game in general which would make him tougher for opponents to play against. He has good offensive tools for the next level.
Adam Thilander
Adam Thilander is an intelligent, two-way defenseman with good mobility and average size. Thilander is arguably at his best with the puck on his stick where he can utilize his skating abilities to dictate the pace of play. A player who sees the ice well, Adam shows an ability to make a quality first pass, while also demonstrating the ability to transition the puck into the offensive zone in possession. While Thilander boasts good puck skills and passing traits, he isn't overly flashy and often opts to make the simplistic play. A good skater with four-way mobility, Thilander does need to enhance his first step quickness and would benefit from strengthen his lower body to enhance his overall speed. Offensively Thilander often utilizes his vision and passing skills to quarterback a power play effectively and does show an ability to open shooting lanes and get pucks on goal. Adam possesses an underrated shot, mainly because he doesn't utilize it as much as he could. Defensively Thilander took some time to adjust to the North American style of game but steadily improved his play in the defensive zone and away from the puck. With improved gap and angling effectively, Thilander was able to contain well in transition. Thilander often opts to utilize positioning and his stick to defend and would benefit from adding more of a physical element to his game. Adding strength to his frame will be necessary as will speeding up his decision-making process.
Justin Brazeau
Justin Brazeau is a big two-way winger with intriguing size and good hockey sense. As Justin's confidence rose he began to utilize his shot more which resulted in increased goal production. A player who stands 6'5, Brazeau utilizes his size well, positioning himself appropriately in puck battles which allows him to emerge in possession despite a need to add strength. Brazeau shields the puck very well when entering the zone or emerging off the cycle, however, would benefit from adding strength and becoming heavier on the puck. Justin's ability to find space offensively allows him to generate offensive opportunities as he provides an outlet for his teammates and can quickly release the puck on goal. A player with an underrated shot, Brazeau can make himself an effective net-front presence and shows deceptively quick hands in tight. Brazeau's skating is his biggest weakness as he lacks first step quickness and reaches only an average top speed. However, his ability to anticipate the play and think the game at a high level allows him to be effective on the fore-check. Brazeau competes well and shows good positional awareness in all three zones, often utilizing his size and reach defensively to clog lanes and create turnovers
