| Tanner Latsch | Des Moines Buccaneers | USHL | L | F | 6’2″ | 190 | Uncom. | Twin Lake, MI | 2002 | 2020-2021: C |
USHL: Dubuque vs Des Moines, November 2020: Latsch is another Des Moines forward who had a really solid game contributing for the Buccaneers’ offense. Latsch put up a hat trick in the game and was always looking for ways to funnel the puck towards the net and make life difficult on the opposing netminder. On his first goal, Latsch positioned himself nicely in front of the net, using his body to create a passing lane and shield off the defender. He then redirected a hard pass from his linemate to tip the puck past the goalie. On his second goal Latsch jumped on a turnover that he helped create high in the offensive zone, and whipped the puck through traffic onto the net, where it found its way in. To complete the hattrick late in the game, Latsch took a quick shot in the slot after the puck bounced on his stick, this first shot was blocked by a defender, but he followed it up, taking a second shot almost immediately and depositing that for his third goal of the game. Overall, Latsch looked for any chance he could to get the puck on net, worked hard, competed, and was rewarded for his efforts with a productive offensive night. Grade: A
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran, April 2020: Big kid who moves well. Strong in the corners and in front of the net. Has a quick release that is very difficult for goalies to read. Excellent penalty killer who plays in straight lines, maintains line-ups & has a powerful first step that allows him to breakup seem passes consistently. We feel he is a North American styled player who is in an International style with Team USA & shows the high hockey IQ to understand his role. Low risk player with NHL upside.
Tanner Latsch Evaluation, November 2019: So we’ve seen Tanner play on both Olympic sized ice and on a North American sheet. We’ve seen him buy into his role and have seen him play well having varying amounts of ice time. And what we see is always the same. He is smart at the lines when carrying the puck, defending a line rush or breaking up a neutral zone breakout. He is dependable in the defensive zone and plays in straight lines with his stick on the ice. He consistently breaks up “Royal Road” scoring opportunities because he has high level anticipation and the hand eye coordination to get his stick on sauce passes. He’s fearless when blocking shots and he does so while laying down or staying on his feet to eat pucks. He finishes checks all over the ice without taking himself out of the play or exposing passing lanes to do it. He has a powerful stride, is quick laterally and is very explosive when stopping and starting… all of which making him an excellent penalty killer. He is 6’2 187lbs right now and has the frame to carry 200lbs very easily. And lastly, he can score. Tanner does not earn anywhere near the amount ice time that some of his Team USA teammates get, never mind any power play time, but he is fourth (4th) on the team in goals. He’s got zero helpers, not even a cheesy second assist, but he has 5 goals in nineteen U.S. National U18 Team games and 3 goals versus USHL competition. Obviously coaches know more than we do. BUT…. if consistency is what you want in a locker room, never mind an NHL locker room, please explain to me how we can have Tanner as a player with a ‘C+’ Grade for National Hockey League potential and 4.5 Star Amateur Rating but somehow didn’t he just sign an NLI with an NCAA Division 1 program? Now we don’t know his academic situation (or really know anything about him off the ice) and maybe he is waiting to hear an Ivy decision, but he definitely deserves the attention of Division 1 programs because we know he’s getting attention from NHL scouts. So in summary… Tanner is a big, smart, fast, physical player who has trained with and competed against the top players in his age group for the past 2 seasons and yet somehow does not have a college commitment. And oh yeah, he can have a positive impact on a game with limited ice time and even end up on the score sheet. Even Batman would be stumped on this one.
NTDP Evaluation Camp Report, March 2018: Latsch is an exciting prospect who has a very bright future ahead of him. He’s got size, length, one of the hardest shots in camp and a “hard to play against” mentality. He struggled with consistency game to game and even shift to shift, but when he’s moving his feet and playing aggressive, he makes a lot happen. If he had to be classified he’d be a skilled power forward, because he brought some physicality here, he mixed it up in the tough ice, he blasted a few shots and showed that he actually has really smooth hands. His stick skills aren’t as obvious as say a Stranges or Gaffney, but if you watch defenseman trying to poke check him in the corners or around the net you’ll see subtle moves where he can get around them and get a shot on net. His skating could use some ironing out as his stride can be sporadic, but he’s a good athlete, he has mature instincts at both ends that put him in good spots. As he grows into his frame, his stride and balance will improve. He brings two very valuable traits to this team; he can score which is at a premium and he can play any position on any line making him versatile and reliable.
NTDP Evaluation Camp: Day #1 Notes: Today’s game featured twenty five forwards, sixteen defensemen and six goalies. Each line played equal time and the goalies each played one period. Team Red won the game in a shootout off a nifty deke goal from Eamon Powell and a quick release snap shot top corner from Tanner Latsch. Blue only scored once in the shootout; a skilled deke move in tight by Thomas Bordeleau.
HPHL U16 Plymouth, MI Showcase, February 2018: A strong north and south game that was impressive. He can improve his skating a bit but he worked hard to get up and down the ice. He has the knack to be able to score goals from different areas. The puck came off his stick quick and with some zip on it. When in tight he is big and has great touch to get the puck up over the goaltender.
Battle of the Border, December 2017: Tanner is a constant in our reports as he displays a great frame with skill to go along with it. His game was very strong north and south as well as in traffic areas. His release mixed with a heavy shot make him a very dangerous with time and space. He has the talent with the puck to score from the top of the circles or with defenders all over him around the paint. His top-end speed can improve as he goes along to complete his game.
2002 Michigan Bantam Fest, July 2017: Tanner is a big kid and a very strong skater. He has slick hands and the ability to beat defenders 1 vs 1 by using his size and reach. He needs to be more consistent on every shift and in each game to become a great player.