More info on Gleason....Horns hit it on the head
Has added strength and is more willing to take the body. Is willing to jump up and lay a hit on an opponent and has added grit to his game, even willing to fight. Offensive instincts aren?t great and sometimes makes bad pinches. Does better in defensive zone than in past and wins more battles in the corners. A decent point shot, could use a little more accuracy and another look to ensure shooting lane is clear before blasting away. Has good overall speed, but lost a little bit of that first-step quickness he had before for adding mass . . . good tradeoff. Didn?t show too much on offence or carrying the puck up ice very often at the Hull Rookie camps, but did overhandle it a couple times in his own zone or neutral zone. Read well of defence partner.
Future
Gleason looks like he came to the conclusion he wouldn?t make it as a pure offensive defenceman and put in the offseason work to round out the other parts of his game. As of now, it looks like a good decision. His coaches were more impressed with his style of play at the latest Hull Rookie tournament than the previous one. He added bulk to a frame that holds it well and sorted out his defensive shortcomings over the course of the past year. Gleason looks like with some more work, he could become a solid defenceman with decent offensive abilities. He will probably require a couple years in the AHL as he continues to develop his game, but he?s made leaps and bounds in development this past year. Should be an eventual top-four defenceman.
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