De Leo is a strong skater who shows good speed and balance, and relentless puck pursuit. He has quick hands and maintains complete control over the puck. De Leo uses his strong puck skills to control possession for his team. He moves the puck quickly and with purpose. While his straight-line passing is very good, his vision is not elite. He struggles at times to feather passes through skates and sticks. He’s not a player who shows particular high-end skill as a playmaker. His unremitting style and desire to always push the pace leads to situations where he could work on his patience to let the play develop. De Leo is always looking to attack the net and shows good drive and strength for a player his size. He routinely wins battles at the net front, and possesses a decent shot with a quick release. De Leo plays much bigger than he is. He displays an extremely high competitive drive and outworks most opponents. He’s a stalky player and uses leverage well to win most battles regardless of the size of his opponent. He seems to have an extra gear in races for loose pucks and never has an invisible shift. De Leo backchecks hard and brings his work ethic with him in the defensive zone. He is also strong on faceoffs. (May 2014)