Observations:

November 2016 – McNally has been a mainstay on the Barracuda's bottom pairing and has a revolving cast of characters to work with. McNally was impressive during the preseason, but that ability with the puck seems to have dissipated somewhat. As one of the older players during the rookie camps, McNally's skating and puck ability helped him but now without a consistent partner it's been difficult for the former Harvard defender to bring his offense to the ice. While he has suited up for every Barracuda game thus far, he only has two assists in 14 contests. Zachary DeVine

September 2015 – The Sharks assigned McNally to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. The recently acquired defender will look to begin his professional career on a deep squad and display the offensive acumen that he was so known for at Harvard University. McNally is a late bloomer who may surprise some people if he can stay healthy and continue his development. – Cam Robinson

August 2015 – After completing what turned out to be his senior season at Harvard (Cheating scandal put that into question), McNally was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the San Jose Shark for a seventh round selection during the 2015 NHL entry draft. The Canucks may have felt they could not come to terms with the Massachusetts native however San Jose had no problem with that as they inked him to a two year entry-level deal on July 2nd. McNally led Harvard to its first ECAC championship since 2006 and was named to the all-tournament team. McNally boasts impressive offensive abilities, but at age 23, he’ll have to display them quickly at the pro level. He will likely suit up for the AHL squad this season and aim for NHL duties in 2016-17, but could see some time in the ECHL if his transition to pro hockey is less than smooth. Cameron Robinson

April 2015 – A fourth year academic junior, McNally got back on track in a big way this season after a less than ideal college career since his promising 28 points in 34 games as a freshman. He was actually kicked off Harvard's hockey program after the first seven games of the 2012-13 season after a very odd academic scandal that involved over 279 students collaborating to cheat on a take-home exam. He managed to return after the first nine games of 2013-14 with the hope of recouping his year of NCAA eligibility.  His 21 points in 20 games (6-15, plus-17) this year resurrected the potential of an NHL career before he was lost for much of the regular season with a lower-body injury (leg or knee), but returned just in time to help Harvard challenge for a deep playoff run. He will

An excellent skater with a big shot, McNally's natural offensive ability combined with his newfound dedication to the defensive side has help establish the 23-year-old as one of the nation's top defenseman. Often looking like a forward out there, he is exciting to watch coming out of his own zone, and at 6-2 inches tall uses his body well to protect the puck when in danger. He does need to add strength and tighten up even more defensively, especially once he'll be facing NHL forecheckers. The fact that he is 23 must be taken into account when looking at his point totals, as he is two to three years older than most of his competition. Michael Barrett

Fantasy Outlook: C

McNally still has to improve defensively and now is getting muscled out by younger players making strides. A hard road is getting harder.

Footage:

Highlights from 2011-12

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Highlights from 2013-14

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