I'm sure interpretations vary, but I've always taken unicorn to mean really, really unique - no obvious comparable immediately comes to mind - moreso than simply being an exceptional player.
Iginla/Shanahan/Neely/Keith Tkachuk/Tim Kerr/even Gordie Howe/Bobby Hull/etc - certainly there are some differences among them, but they feel like a very, very similar mould.
Tkachuk is pretty unique...Marchand seems like the closest comp in terms of a highly skilled pest who is very good defensively. Marchand is very small and one of the fastest skaters (Pat Verbeek? Theo Fleury?)...Tkachuk is above average size and glacial.
Rick Tocchet, Owen Nolan, maybe Gary Roberts come to mind, but all three feel much tougher/more physical than Tkachuk, and are moreso finishers without Tkachuk's creativity/playmaking. Maybe Scott Hartnell is closer?
A few other obvious unicorns for me:
Chara...Hedman is the only thing kinda close, but they've got a lot of differences
Datsyuk...elements of lots of different guys, but I can't really think of anyone who puts it all together like him.
I guess Gaudreau probably qualifies, too...he feels unique compared to most other small guys who were burners+snipers.
Of course a lot of the all-time greats qualify, too, but IMO that's a bit of a different conversation.
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