Fantasy hockey drafts are won and lost on the margins. Every manager knows the stars in the first couple of rounds, but the real difference-makers are often the players who provide value at the right draft slot. That’s what our MUST-DRAFT picks are all about: spotlighting the skaters and goalies that are highlighted on our draft lists, and should be on your list too. These are players whose production, opportunity, and upside make them nearly impossible to pass on at their current average draft position (ADP). Whether it’s a proven star who is undervalued, a breakout candidate ready to explode, or a steady contributor who’s better than the name recognition suggests, these are the MUST-DRAFT players who can tilt your league in your favour.

More Must-Draft Player Lists:

• Brock Seguin’s Must-Draft Players
• Dylan Berthiaume’s Must-Draft Players
• Nick Szeman’s Must-Draft Players
• Matt Larkin’s Must-Draft Players

Pavel Dorofeyev | Vegas Golden Knights | LW/RW | ADP: 121.0

It’s rare to imagine such a young, elite scoring talent being so disrespected by the general population’s ADP, but Dorofeyev seems to be that guy, this season. The 24-year-old sniper heads into 2025-26 looking like a lock as Vegas’ top shooting option on their top power-play unit after an impressively quiet 35-goal campaign last season. Expected to be an integral part of the Golden Knights’  future and top-six that recently added  75-assist, 102-point man, Mitch Marner in the offseason, Dorofeyev’s goal-scoring ceiling seems endless after producing an impressive 254 SOG (5th among LW) while averaging just 16:32 TOI (35th among LW) in 2024-25. An uptick in ice time can and should easily be a reality and may be what Dorofeyev needs to reach the 300-plus shot plateau and put himself in contention for 40-plus goals. The Vegas fan favourite is a must draft and heavy sleeper after finishing fourth among left-wingers in goal scoring last season, while currently being drafted as the 35th off the board this season. His upside, another year of experience and the addition of valuable linemates are all a recipe for fantasy success that I am willing to add to all my teams. 

Jackson LaCombe | Anaheim Ducks | D | ADP: 122.0

LaCombe quietly went from unknown free agent to fantasy-winning pickup and still has yet to rise up draft boards to start the 2025-26 season. We could likely attribute this to the fact that he plays in Anaheim, but that same factor may be a key reason why he falls into my must-grab territory. The 24-year-old seems primed to turn heads this upcoming season with a full year of running the Ducks’ blue line and power play incoming and limited competition behind him on Anaheim’s defence. Lacombe’s true coming of age seemed to strike on December 1st, 2024, after a one-goal, five SOG performance in Ottawa. The young, shoot-first defensemen proceeded to impress for the final 59 games of the season,  ranking fourth among defensemen in goals (12), 13th in points (39th), and 23rd in SOG from that date forward. Even his strong offensive output was not enough to improve  Anaheim’s league-worst power play, collecting just eight power play points, leaving plenty of room for improvement in the upcoming season.  A change of fortune on the Ducks’ top unit, paired with continued confidence and the growth of young talent around LaCombe, could realistically lead to a top-10 fantasy season among defensemen, while being drafted far outside that range. LaCombe is currently being drafted as a No.3 fantasy defenseman, an absolute steal across nearly every form of fantasy league. 

Matvei Michkov | Philadelphia Flyers | RW | ADP: 79.5

You may have trouble finding someone who closed out the 2024-25 season hotter than Michkov. The 20-year-old Russian phenom took John Tortorella’s firing on March 27th as fuel and showed the hockey world a glimpse of his true potential by picking up six goals, 12 points, and 32 SOG in nine games under Brad Shaw. This is a hopeful sign for the massive breakout potential that Michkov possesses as we enter his sophomore season under new Head Coach Rick Tocchet. Michkov’s late-season success began after the forward started averaging 20-plus minutes per game, marking a complete 180 from the 16:18 TOI he was averaging on a nightly basis across his first 71 games under Torterella. If Michkov can squeeze out even half of the four extra minutes he was averaging late last season under his new coach, he’ll likely continue to increase his SOG totals and make a realistic push as a top-40 fantasy player. Philadelphia’s offensive success rides on Michkov taking another step forward this season, making him an integral part of both the Flyers and fantasy owners’ lineups. With little to no pressure behind him in Trevor Zegras and Tyson Foerster, his leash should be incredibly long as he attempts to improve on Philadelphia’s 30th-ranked power-play from a season ago and, more importantly, build off his 17 power play points. 

Gabriel Vilardi | Winnipeg Jets | C/RW | ADP: 149.5

Vilardi is plummeting down draft boards despite being expected to remain glued to the hip of both Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, yet again on one of the NHL’s most effective lines and power plays. The 26-year-old has made steady improvements in each of his first six NHL seasons, despite consistently facing unlucky injuries throughout. Vilardi’s clear red flag (despite health) is his shot volume, but let’s not forget the sniper was on pace for 205 shots across a full 82-game season just two years ago. A year after he tallied 12 goals and 13 assists with the man-advantage, Vilardi should once again be given a chance to excel on Winnipeg’s top power play unit. Alongside his special teams success, the winger has scored at an impressive 0.42 goals per game since joining Winnipeg in 2023-24 via trade. Vilardi’s Winnipeg goal-scoring pace would hypothetically land him at 34 goals across a full, healthy 82-game season, which would’ve ranked him top 25 among all NHLers last season. Both Vilardi’s ceiling and floor remain incredibly high for a player with both his goal-scoring potential and ability to make plays (career high 34 assists in 2024-25). This is a rare find at the end of your draft, which is why I am willing to go a few rounds earlier on Vilardi and am baffled by his fall down draft boards. 

Valeri Nichushkin | Colorado Avalanche | LW/RW | ADP: 89.0

When Nichushkin is in Colorado’s lineup, he is one of the most effective players in fantasy hockey. The issues begin when you notice the speedy power forward has missed 96 games in the last three seasons, nearly 39% of regular-season hockey. The good news is that we can see this trend clearly baked into his mid-round ADP, working as a bonus for those of us willing to take a risk on the 30-year-old. His absence from the lineup hasn’t always been injury-related, which means with an expected clean bill of health to start the 2025-26 season, we can enjoy his near 20-plus minutes of ice that he’s grown accustomed to on a nightly basis in Colorado right out of the gate. Despite averaging only 50 games per season in the last three years, he still averages 22 goals and 144.5 SOG per season, alongside 0.89 points per game. Extrapolated across a full 82-game season, the power forward is averaging an impressive 36 goals, 73 points, and 237 SOG. With his late ADP having minimum risk associated with it, I am more than willing to take this chance for the extremely high ceiling asset who likely lines up in the top-6 of a lineup that includes both Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Nichushkin’s early potential will be capped if he cannot crack Colorado’s first power-play unit. Still, regardless, he will likely be the first man up if things go south in any way or if there are any injuries and will still hold plenty of 5v5 value due to his incredible skills on both ends of the ice. If Nichushkin can finally put together a season of more than 62 games played, it may be the recipe we need to see him reach the career highs frustrated fantasy owners have been yearning for, for years. Worst case, he hits the IR again for a period while you try out the newest free agent pickup and get to enjoy his high-end production when healthy.