McLean entered his first game with the Hurricanes with the NHL's worst GAA at 3.68, but helped his new club to a 4–1 win to record his first victory with Carolina. His tenure in Carolina was brief, as the Hurricanes traded him after eight appearances to the Florida Panthers for forward Ray Sheppard on March 24, 1998. He made his debut with the Panthers two days later on March 26 and recorded a 5–4 win against the Canadiens. The following season, McLean recorded his first shutout with the Panthers in a 1–0 win against the Nashville Predators. He went on to match his personal best 2.74 GAA in his first and only full season with the Panthers in 1998–99, playing in 30 games as Sean Burke's backup.