Tanner Dickinson (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
(1) Brain – Tanner has always processed the game very well from an offensive stand point. At a young age he understood creating mismatches by changing speeds or cutting laterally through the zone. He was one of the first players we saw in this age group who shot with not only the purpose of scoring a goal, but also creating chaos and rebound opportunities for his line mates. Although he has grown up playing center, we project Tanner a a wing in professional hockey. The switch to wing will relieve some of the defensive zone responsibilities and allow for Tanner’s offensive instincts to take over.
(2) Vision & Poise – He sees the ice very well. In every type of offensive situation Tanner plays with his head up and has a very low panic point. He has the ability to settle a bobbling puck quickly and make soft sauce passes that are easy for his teammates to handle. High end skill set.
(3) Feet – He has very good edge control and can spin off of contact as well as any draft prospect. He needs to improve his speed and quickness, but we feel both will improve as Tanner matures and trains properly.
(4) Compete & Effort – Tanner gives it on the offensive side of the puck. It is not that he doesn’t compete on the defensive side, but growing up his skill set allowed him to cheat and he still has this tendency. Again, long term the switch to wing will work in his favor and allow him to be opportunistic.
(5) Contact or Physicality – He is not a physical player now, nor do we expect him to be one later. He is however strong on the puck and battles for ice in the scoring areas.
(6) Release – He can shoot with his feet moving and through screens at a high level. He may not have a bullet, but he does have a deceptive release point that can cause rebound issues for goalies.
(7) One Timer Ability – He does not have a bullet, but he has an expanded shooting area and can get good wood on poor passes. We feel his consistency will be an asset as he matures and he will develop a much harder shot.
(8) Body Language – Only Note Extremes
(9) Special Teams Potential – Tanner’s offensive skill set, anticipation and opportunistic offensive IQ make him a natural power play option.
(10) Intangibles – We have no doubt about the style of player Tanner will be when he turns pro. We do wonder if he has the body type to be a consistent NHLer. Obviously Tanner is not going to weigh 154lbs when he is in his early twenties, but how much stronger will he get? The days of needing to weigh 200lbs are over, but the National League is still a grind and will Tanner have the frame to withstand the physical grind when it’s time to be a pro?