Every draft season, fantasy managers obsess over offensive upside. We debate who will score 80 points, who will quarterback a power play, and who has the highest ceiling. But for those of us playing in multi-category or BASH leagues, there’s another question that deserves just as much attention: who fills the stat sheet even when they aren’t scoring?

Blocks, shots, and hits, or BaSH, often separate good fantasy players from great ones. Some prospects project to become offensive stars, while others generate value by contributing across every category. The best are capable of doing both. Here are the drafted players from the 2026 NHL Draft that have the best BaSH potential, according to how their performed in their draft eligible environment. 

The Defenders

Carson Carels – D, Calgary Flames
Carels is the gold standard for BaSH production in the 2026 draft class. He’s my top-ranked defenseman because he offers the rare combination of true top-pair upside and elite multi-category production. His Fantasy Hockey Life Skater Card grades his BaSH profile in the 95th percentile, reflecting a game built around heavy hits, blocked shots, physical engagement, and dependable defensive play. He pounces on loose pucks, closes gaps, and impacts games without needing to dominate the scoresheet.

What separates Carels from the rest of the class is that his offensive ceiling is more attainable than it may initially appear. While another defenseman could eventually post slightly higher point totals, Carels has the complete, translatable game that should earn him significant minutes in every situation. That combination of even-strength usage, penalty killing, and potential power-play time gives him one of the highest floors in the draft while still leaving room for legitimate offensive growth. If everything comes together, he has the potential to become one of fantasy hockey’s premier multi-category defensemen.

Ryan Lin – D, San Jose Sharks
Lin has one of the highest fantasy ceilings among the defensemen in the 2026 class. Outside of Carels, no defender carries a higher star potential in the Hockey Prospecting model, making him one of the premier offensive blue-line prospects available. The San Jose Sharks landed tremendous value by selecting him 21st overall, and if he earns a top power-play role at the NHL level, he has the potential to become a high-end fantasy producer.

While Lin is best known for his dynamic offensive instincts, his physical game is often overlooked. Despite being undersized, he threw more hits than 82% of WHL skaters while also blocked shots at an above-average rate and generated more shots than 87% of his peers. That willingness to engage physically, combined with elite offensive upside, gives Lin considerably more multi-category appeal than the typical offense-first defenseman.

Tommy Bleyl – D, Nashville Predators
Bleyl possesses one of the most exciting offensive profiles in the entire 2026 draft class. He ranks third among defensemen in the Hockey Prospecting model for star potential, making Nashville’s selection of him at 31st overall one of the best value picks of the first round. While his defensive game remains a work in progress, few blueliners can match his combination of skating, puck skills, and offensive creativity, giving him legitimate top-pair fantasy upside.

Bleyl’s fantasy value extends beyond his point production. His overall BaSH rating sits at 77%, driven primarily by exceptional shot generation that ranked in the 95th percentile among QMJHL skaters. He also blocked shots at an above-average rate, adding valuable secondary category production. That blend of elite shot volume and respectable peripheral contributions gives Bleyl true difference-maker potential in fantasy formats, particularly if his defensive game continues to mature.

Daxon Rudolph – D, Buffalo Sabres
Rudolph possesses one of the highest offensive ceilings among defensemen in the 2026 draft class. He ranks fourth in star potential in the Hockey Prospecting model, highlighting his ability to become a true impact fantasy defenseman. While his defensive game still has room to grow, it is often overstated as a weakness. He has the skating, puck-moving ability, and offensive instincts to justify significant NHL minutes. Although landing in Buffalo may initially seem less than ideal with Rasmus Dahlin entrenched as the franchise defenseman, dynasty managers shouldn’t let that discourage them. By the time Rudolph reaches the NHL full time, Dahlin will likely be around 30 years old, and there is plenty of room for both players to thrive in complementary roles, including on separate power-play units or even together on a dominant top pairing.

From a fantasy perspective, Rudolph’s value is driven primarily by elite shot generation. He ranked in the 99th percentile among WHL defensemen in shots while posting roughly average block totals. Physicality is not a major part of his game, however, as his hit rate ranked in just the 19th percentile. Managers looking for heavy hit production should temper expectations, but those searching for a defenseman capable of driving offense and piling up shots will find few better bets in this class.

Chase Reid – D, Seattle Kraken
Reid may not receive the same level of attention as some of the higher-profile offensive defensemen, but his fantasy profile is among the most complete in the 2026 class. He ranks fifth among defensemen in star potential in the Hockey Prospecting model, reflecting an impressive combination of offensive upside and NHL projection. Reid projects as the type of player capable of quarterbacking a power play while also handling difficult even-strength minutes, giving him multiple paths to long-term fantasy relevance.

His peripheral profile is equally intriguing. Reid’s shot generation ranked in the 94th percentile among OHL defensemen, nearly matching Rudolph’s elite volume. Unlike Rudolph, however, Reid contributes more consistently in the physical categories, posting above-average hit rates. Shot blocking is the one area where he lags behind, ranking in just the 19th percentile. Even so, his combination of offensive production, elite shot volume, and respectable physical play gives him one of the highest fantasy floors among defensemen in the class while still offering legitimate top-pair upside.

Alberts Smits – D, New York Rangers
Smits may not have the offensive upside of some of the other defensemen in this class, but he projects to be one of its most dependable multi-category contributors. Having played across several leagues and international tournaments, his offensive projection is a bit more difficult to pin down, but one constant has been his ability to generate BaSH production wherever he plays. While his shot volume isn’t quite at the level of the elite offensive defenders, he projects to contribute fairly evenly in shots, hits, and blocked shots, resulting in an overall BaSH profile in the 80th percentile or better. As a minute-eating, all-situations defenseman for the Rangers, Smits could become significantly more valuable in category leagues than in points-only formats thanks to his balanced peripheral production.

The Power Forwards

Ethan Belchetz – LW, Utah Mammoth
Belchetz has the highest offensive upside of this group, combining legitimate skill with the size and physicality that make power forwards so valuable in fantasy. His inconsistency is the biggest hurdle, but his 84th-percentile hit rate suggests he has the tools to become an excellent multi-category producer if it all comes together.

Maddox Dagenais – C, St. Louis Blues
Dagenais may not possess Belchetz’s offensive ceiling, but he competes as hard as anyone in this class. His relentless motor and 77th-percentile hit rate should translate into dependable BaSH production, giving him a high fantasy floor.

Gleb Pugachyov – RW, Montreal Canadiens
Pugachyov is the most physical of the trio, posting an outstanding 95th-percentile hit rate while already playing against professional competition. His offensive upside may be more limited than Belchetz or Degagnés, but his punishing style makes him one of the best BaSH forwards in the class.

The Rest

Pierce Mbuyi – LW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Mbuyi may be undersized, but he doesn’t play like it. He posted a 90th-percentile overall BaSH profile, driven by a 75th-percentile hit rate, 86th-percentile blocks, and 86th-percentile shots. His willingness to compete in the hard areas of the ice gives him sneaky multi-category upside despite his size.

Ryan Roobroeck – C, Chicago Blackhawks
Roobroeck is one of the most skilled forwards in the class, though his compete level can be inconsistent. Even so, he produced an impressive BaSH profile with 95th-percentile shot generation, 77th-percentile blocks, and 62nd-percentile hits. If his engagement becomes more consistent, he has the tools to be a valuable fantasy winger.

Alexander Command – C, Utah Mammoth
Command projects as one of the safest forwards in the class, with the potential to become a reliable middle-six center. His competitiveness, physical play, and strong all-around game should translate well to fantasy formats, particularly those that reward faceoff wins. While his offensive ceiling may not be elite, his dependable peripheral production gives him a high fantasy floor.

Final Thoughts

BaSH production isn’t just about finding the biggest hitters. The best fantasy assets are often players who combine offensive upside with the ability to contribute across multiple categories, creating a higher weekly floor while maintaining elite ceilings. As scoring ebbs and flows throughout a season, shots, hits, and blocked shots often provide the consistency that wins matchups.

The 2026 draft class offers an impressive collection of those players. Carels remains the gold standard, while defenders such as Lin, Bleyl, Rudolph, and Reid all possess varying blends of offensive upside and peripheral production. Up front, Belchetz, Dagenais, Pugachyov, Mbuyi, Roobroeck, and Command each offer intriguing multi-category profiles for different reasons. As these prospects develop, don’t focus solely on the point totals. The managers who consistently identify players that fill every column of the box score are often the ones who build the strongest dynasty rosters.

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