The Edmonton Oilers announced that they have signed defender Noel Hoefenmayer to a one-year, entry-level contract and defender Ben Gleason to a two-year, $775K AAV contract that is two-way in the first year but one-way in the second.
Hoefenmayer career overview
Hoefenmayer, 24, was originally a fourth round pick of the Arizona Coyotes back in 2017 from the OHL’s Ottawa 67s. He played out his junior career there, winning the Max Kaminsky Trophy as CHL Defenceman of the Year in his final season of eligibility for junior hockey. He scored 26 goals and 82 points in 56 games that season.
He was left unsigned by the Coyotes organization and had since spent the first three seasons of his professional career in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ pipeline. The Toronto Marlies had brought Hoefenmayer in where he split his first two seasons between the AHL and ECHL, slowly gaining recognition within the Maple Leafs’ organization.
This past season was his first fully in the AHL. He scored 11 goals and totaled 38 points in 65 games for the Marlies.
Hoefenmayer player type and development
Hoefenmayer has a unique skillset where he shows prowess in almost every facet of the game. At the junior and minor league levels, he has put up impressive offensive numbers and is a competent puck mover on the rush.
Despite being on the smaller side at just 6’0” tall, he absolutely can play physically and is not afraid to drop the gloves, finding himself in six fights last season.
And he does have some promising tools defensively, though he does need to work on decision making and discipline if he wants to make a positive impact at a higher level. He had 114 PIMs in his 65 games last season, which could pose an issue if he cannot defend or engage physically without taking extra penalties. Though it is of note that 55 of those penalty minutes came in just three games.
Hoefenmayer will spend the 2023–24 season with the Bakersfield Condors where he will be looked at to add depth to the defensive group down there with the intention of fleshing out his game and building his confidence. He does show promise of developing into a well-rounded defender who could see a chance in the NHL past this upcoming season.
Gleason career overview
Gleason was signed by the Dallas Stars as an undrafted player shortly before the season back in 2018 after a successful junior career with the Hamilton Bulldogs.
He made his NHL debut in his first professional season, getting to see ice time in four games while recording one assist. Other than that, he has spent his entire pro career with the Texas Stars of the AHL where he has 141 points in 290 games.
Gleason player type and development
Gleason trends towards being an offensive defender but is still quite raw in his development. He should spend the season with the Condors where he will be relied on to contribute offensively and possibly take on the powerplay. He is unlikely to see any NHL time but with strong performance he may find himself rewarded with a call-up at the end of the regular season.
A huge focus for his development will be solidifying his defensive game, as it can still be weak at times.
Gleason and Hoefenmayer will join and compete for roster positioning with Cam Dineen, all of whom are similar types of defenders. The Oilers are hoping to find a gem in at least one of them.
