Ben Gleason

June 2022 – Coming off the best season of his career in the AHL, Gleason proved that he still has serious NHL potential. Notching a career-high in goals (nine), points (44), and PIMS (58), Gleason was a big part of the strong Texas Stars team, logging big minutes; however, he still hasn’t received an NHL opportunity. Gleason’s defensive game is where he falls behind – his impact on the backcheck is negligible, and his defensive IQ isn’t developed enough for the NHL. He has trouble reading plays and can sometimes be found at a borderline standstill on the ice, however, he still has time to improve these skills. With such potent offensive skill, one possibility for the Dallas organization could be to try him out on the wing, as his defensive game makes his NHL efficacy difficult to predict. Spending more time in the AHL won’t hurt his development, but if the effort continues on his offensive game rather than his positional needs, he could stall out as a consistent and exciting core AHL piece, rather than the top-four NHL defenseman he once had potential to become. Aaron Itovitch

September 2018 – Coming off a successful offensive output last season with the Hamilton Bulldogs tallying 48 points in 63 games of the regular season and then following it up with 18 in 21 on their postseason run to the Memorial Cup, the undrafted defenseman begins his pro career with the minor league affiliate, Texas Stars. Gleason will need some seasoning in the AHL before he can make the jump to the big team, but he could be a fantasy threat in the years to come if he is able to figure out the other parts of the game that are detrimental to his team in the defensive end of the ice. Keep an eye for this guy in your keeper league as he could be a cheap fantasy option in the coming years. Nate Duffett