Olson plays a very strong, physical, two-way game. He is active and engaged from the opening puck drop, playing with a noticeable amount of energy and intensity in all areas of the ice. He is a decent skater, moves well backwards and has a solid change of direction step that allows him to quickly jolt himself towards the opposition with some aggressive momentum. Tate’s biggest downfall, at times, is that he plays a little bit too aggressive, sometimes missing an assignment or losing an angle on someone he is trying to check. At other times his aggressiveness is his best asset. Has a raw, unrefined offensive game, is willing to rush and pinch but needs to be better at picking his spots. Puck skills are just average, most of the time he looks to make simple straightforward plays with the puck, such as a shot on net or a short-range pass. Has a nice one-timer slap shot that makes its way through traffic. Negatively, he does battle the odd giveaway and has the propensity to make the first play he sees, which will be something taken advantage of at the next level. Defensively, he makes some good defensive plays by using sound positioning and physical aggressiveness to take away options for opponents. He plays with a nasty edge in the defensive zone and when he gains more strength he will be a devastating player to play against. Has the potential to become a strong, Kevin Klein type, in your face style, shut-down defenseman. While there is nothing elite about his game, he competes and has the raw instincts to add other elements to his game as he matures. (May 2015)