On July 2, the Edmonton Oilers signed defenseman Ben Gleason to a two-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 a season at the NHL level, with the second season becoming a one-way deal. He was one of the free agent signings that flew under the radar, as not much will be expected of Gleason. Hopefully, he earns himself an opportunity at the NHL level out of training camp.
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Listed at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Gleason is a left-shot defenseman from Ortonville, Michigan. He has been an underutilized depth option for most of his career and will be looking to earn an opportunity in the Oilers’ lineup this upcoming season. At 25 years old, he is entering his sixth season of professional hockey and will likely start it out with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Gleason’s Career So Far
Gleason went undrafted and signed an entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars on Sept. 13, 2018. He signed the three-year deal following a solid junior career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) split between the London Knights and Hamilton Bulldogs.
Gleason’s first season with the Knights wasn’t the greatest as he put up just five assists through 41 games and was traded in the 2015-16 season to the Bulldogs after one assist in two games. In his first season with the Bulldogs, he scored seven goals and added 25 assists for 32 points through 64 games.
Gleason followed it up with nine goals and 39 assists for 48 points through 63 games during the 2017-18 season, and finished ninth amongst all OHL defensemen in points. He gained attention from scouts around the NHL as a two-way defenseman who needed to improve his speed to transfer his skills to the NHL level, and the Stars took a chance on him. He also appeared in 32 games in the OHL Playoffs, recording three goals and adding 17 assists for 20 points.
He played his first NHL games during the 2018-19 season where he put up one assist through four games. Unfortunately, those are the only games he’s played at the NHL level up until this point. He has played with the Texas Stars of the AHL since he got his first taste of action in the NHL, and hasn’t found his way back.
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Through 290 games in the AHL, Gleason has scored 29 goals and added 112 assists for 141 points which comes out to a 0.49 points per game average. He has maintained his two-way style of play at the AHL level and will be looking for an opportunity at the NHL level by leading with the Condors at both ends of the ice.
Gleason’s Fit With the Oilers
Gleason was signed as an extra defenseman who could be brought in at an affordable price. His cheap price tag made him an attractive free agent for the Oilers who are on a tight budget and need some depth in the event of injuries to their blue line this season. While he doesn’t have a ton of NHL experience, he could earn the opportunity to be the first call-up with some solid play in the AHL.
I really like this signing for the Oilers. It’s a low-risk, high-reward contract that benefits both sides. Gleason gets an opportunity to be a leader in the AHL with a good chance at earning a seventh defenseman position, while the Oilers bring in a guy who creates internal competition while driving up the play of every player on the blue line, and who is driven to prove himself as an NHL mainstay.