| Tanner Kelly | Muskegon Lumberjacks | USHL | R | F | 5’8″ | 149 | Michigan State | 2021 | Clarkston, MI | 2002 | 2020-2021: Free Agent |
Muskegon Lumberjacks vs. Youngstown Phantoms, March 26, 2021: Kelly centers one of the top lines in the USHL between Gushchin and Portz. He doesn’t have ideal size for the position but he’s got a high IQ, he sees the ice well and has the puck touch and skill to make any pass. He had a few wide zone entries where he delayed and fed the slot with tape to tape passes and he’s got the speed to push defenders back on their heels and attack the net. He showed a quick stick in the faceoff circle and he’s able to process the game and make quick decisions with the puck. Good acceleration, he was able to pull away from defenders in tight areas and create space for himself. He’s the kind of playmaker that makes everyone around him better because he’s smart, he’s detailed, he’s got elusive stickhandling, slick passing ability and a grit factor that makes up for his size when he’s battling for loose pucks. College: Michigan State Grade: B
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran’s comments, February 2021: I’ve been a fan of how Tanner plays since I first saw him in a Little Caesar’s uniform back in 2018 and that continues right into this year. He goes to the hard areas with confidence. He scored a goal a few nights ago against Youngstown because he was willing to take a bouncing puck to the net, through traffic and he did not care about getting hit. He just made the play. To me that’s what he’s going to bring every night to a professional organization. I still don’t think he’ll be drafted, but I do think there is a lot to like about his swagger and confidence. I would think he gets an invite to an NHL development camp. And I would think the guys running the camp will enjoy what he brings to the ice every day. From there you never know what will happen, but I stick with my thoughts from last year that Tanner is a player who will physically look dramatically different when it’s time for him to be a pro and he has the mind to be a professional.
(1) Brain – Tanner has been a point machine in midget hockey and at USA Hockey Festivals, but we have always noticed him because of his brain. He doesn’t cheat to the offensive side and he is very good at reading passing angles to break up plays. We don’t think Tanner will get drafted. We do however think that he is someone who will get better over his time in Junior and while playing at Michigan State. We also think he’s smart and for us the player with a high hockey IQ is always worth tracking.
(2) Vision & Poise – He loves to extend plays while looking for the late guy or second wave of the attack. Tanner does an excellent job involving his defensemen.
(3) Feet – Tanner will need to continue developing his explosive first step, but he has the stride and low base to develop it through training.
(4) Compete & Effort – He is a hear working player who does not quit on pucks. We’ve been watching him play for a long time and he as a knack for popping the opponent’s stick while backchecking and stealing the puck.
(5) Contact or Physicality – While he is undersized and not a threat to put you through the boards, he does not shy away from traffic and will initiate contact.
(6) Release – He can get shots released quickly and accurately. His first touch is very smooth.
(7) One Timer Ability – We have not seen Tanner attempt enough one timers to make a comment.
(8) Body Language – He is involved and yaps. We really do not have a problem with talkers.
(9) Special Teams Potential – His puck skills and poise will lead to power play time as he continues to develop physically and get stronger.
(10) Intangibles – We’re not going to lie, we like how Tanner plays. We know that he will not get drafted this year, but we feel that he is the type of player who will look dramatically different next year while playing juniors. And we know he will look dramatically different after two years developing at Michigan State and we feel smart thorough NHL teams will keep an eye on Tanner as he continues to mature.