Hello everyone, and welcome to another season of Dobber content. My name is Chad Simpson and you may remember me from a few guest appearances last year covering Frozen Tool Forensics. This year I will be taking on Geek of the Week full time. 

For my first piece, I want to focus on drafting fantasy unicorns: players who provide out-of-position stats in bulk as we head into the final moments of draft season. I will go round by round based on ADP and give you the best unicorns for each round of your fantasy draft.

Round 1: Brady Tkachuk, LW Ottawa

The gold standard of unicorns, Tkachuk is the only player in the NHL who provides 30-goal, 30-assist, 300-shot, 250-hit, and 50-block potential. Tkachuk took a slow start to his year in 2024-25 and casually cruised to 29 goals, 26 assists, and 296 shots on goal, with 228 hits and 33 blocks in 72 games. There is no equal to what Tkachuk brings to fantasy rosters.

Round 2: Sam Reinhart, C, Florida

I debated on whether or not to put Zach Werenski in this spot, but despite having always been a huge fan of his talent, I really need him to repeat to be worthy of this list. That leaves us with Reinhart, who should take on more offensive volume with Matthew Tkachuk set for an extended absence to start the season. Reinhart is coming off an 81-point season with 103 hits and 62 blocks. There might not be much more ceiling left for the defensive stats, but the added opportunity of 90 points on the offensive side could certainly be in play, which would provide you with a high-upside scorer with a defensive floor.

Round 3: Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington

The legend continues for another season. Ovechkin dazzled as he reached 897 career goals and the record last year with relative ease. He also provided some decent unicorn attributes with 110 hits and 13 blocks despite only playing 65 games. There is a real argument (and one I made in our expert predictions) for Ovechkin to turn back time once more and lead the NHL in goals scored. That combined with the hits and a smattering of blocks thrown in make Ovechkin the best value in round 3.

Round 4: Tim Stutzle, C, Ottawa

One of my favorite players to watch, Stutzle is coming off a wonderfully balanced 79-point season with 162 SOG, 130 hits, and 40 blocks. At just 23 years of age, he has room for growth. The potential for 85 points, 200 SOG, and 200 combined hits and blocks is very much in reach for the talented German.

Late Rounds: Kiefer Sherwood, LW, Vancouver

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the league leader and new NHL record holder in hits for 2025, who also managed to produce a respectable 40-point campaign. While not the same kind of unicorn as some of the others as the offense isn't quite there, Sherwood presents a great opportunity to flesh out your hits if you choose to target offense first D-men earlier in the draft. There is great regression risk as a 30-year-old breakout being sustained is very uncommon, but the defensive floor should keep you afloat no matter what.

Dart Throw: Jack McBain, C, Utah

If McBain can take an offensive step forward like Sherwood did, he could quickly rise from a dart throw to a high value pick. Coming off a 27-point season with 291 hits and 50 blocks, McBain has a lot to be desired offensively. If he can get to 40 points, that would put him in the same category as Sherwood. Beyond that, he could soar up the rankings, which is exactly the kind of upside you want in an end-of-draft dart throw.

That's it for this week's Geek of the Week. It feels great to be back providing insight for the great fan base we have here at Dobber and I look forward to a long season of excellent content delivered straight to your eyes from me and everyone that works alongside me. See you all next week.