Penguins draft defenseman Ryan McCleary in 7th round
With the first of three seventh-round selections they are scheduled to have in the NHL Draft, the Penguins selected defenseman Ryan McCleary 194th overall.
A native of Swift Current, Sask., McCleary spent most of last season with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League playing for former Penguins coach Mike Johnston. In 18 games, McCleary had seven points (two goals, five assists).
The right-handed McCleary, 17, is listed as 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds.
“He’s a raw, young kid,” Penguins director of player personnel Chris Pryor said. “He’s almost close to next year’s draft (in terms of birth year). Which is intriguing, to say the least, because there’s a lot from a projection standpoint. … You think next year at this time where he’s going to be. He’s just starting to get into his own body and get a feel for the game. A big right-shot defenseman. He’s got a lot of attributes that we like. He just needs some time and patience. … Portland does a real good job from a development standpoint. So he’s in a real good place.”
This pick was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in a 2019 trade that sent defenseman Erik Gudbranson to Anaheim.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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