Rookie Profile: Dan Gles [1/2]

[No_Dangles 42]

Name: Dan Gles

Age: 18

Position: Center

Height: 6’ 0”

Weight: 220 lbs

Hometown: Ithaca, NY

 

Strengths

 

Defense

 

Gles is a responsible defensive forward. When in the defensive zone, he gets sticks in lanes and is willing to put his body on the line for his team’s benefit. As a center, for Cornell University, he has stayed relatively low in his offensive zone to account for mistakes by his team’s d-men. Very apparent that he puts defense as his number one priority.

 

Skating

 

Gles has a natural stride and has flawless fundamentals with respect to his skating ability. His crossovers are smooth and he really uses his edges when skating. His speed and acceleration are second to none in his league and are heavily showcased by his back checking and penalty kill ability. It should be noted that he does seem to lack some balance however it is unclear if he’s falling unintentionally or trying to draw penalties.

 

Faceoffs

 

Although not apparent to some, Gles has a natural ability in the faceoff circle. He’s willing to get physical and he is almost never pulled from the circle. He’s currently rocking a 55% in the face-off circle in the NCAA.

 

 

Weaknesses

 

Strength

 

Although Gles is a prolific skater, he is easily bumped off the puck and as a result has a little bit of a problem with puck possession. The problem could easily be resolved if Gles were to hit the weight room

 

Offensive Reluctance

 

Although Gles appears to have the potential to be a high scoring player, he simply seems to refuse to take on any form of offensive responsibility. quik to pass the puck to his teammates, he isn’t selfish enough with the puck.

 

Puck Handling

 

Dan’s name is somewhat of a misnomer. He simply cannot lay down the dangles. As it currently stands, the kid has stone hands and seems to chop at the puck more than actually handle it.

 

 

Summary

Gles has outstanding defensive and athletic abilities. His back checking and penalty kill ability are second to none. That being said, these aspects of his game should continue to grow. Although he is reluctant to take on offensive responsibility, he has a high hockey IQ and will likely improve in those aspects of his game as he develops as a player.

 

As it stands, Gles is best suited for a bottom six role with a presence on the penalty kill. Otherwise, he likely should spend time in the minors to improve on his offensive abilities.