A lanky defender with decent offensive instincts but has a very raw skillset that will have to be developed. He uses his long legs to generate power in his stride and has no issues getting up and down the ice. McCleary’s skating isn’t elite by any stretch, but it won’t be a hinderance on him playing against faster opponents. His decision making is an area of concern, he’s inconsistent with the puck. One shift he will look calm and cool under pressure, making the right play to get himself out of trouble but on the next he will panic and throw the puck off his stick before examining the ice for an outlet. If he can clean that up a bit he will see vast improvements in other areas of his game. On the defensive side is where he struggles, allowing his opponents to beat him inside or outside on the rush and he relies too much on his reach when defending one-on-one. He has the ability to recover when he does get beat but he gets beat a little too frequently right now. McCleary has grown a lot, even from the beginning of the 2021 season and if a team does select him in the draft they will have a player with a lot of raw potential to mold.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide