End-of-Season Awards: Fantasy Breakout Player of the Year

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With the end of the NHL season, it's time to hand out some awards for the 2016-17 fantasy hockey season. theScore's fantasy department wants YOU, the readers and fantasy players, to vote and decide the winner of each award. When voting, value players relative to standard league scoring:

Skaters Goalies
Goals Wins
Assists SV%
+/- GAA
PPP Shutouts
PIMs
SOG

Criteria: The Fantasy Breakout Player of the Year should be awarded to a player who was fantasy irrelevant a year ago, but became one of the best in the game this season. This player was either a final-round flier on draft day or an early season waiver-wire pickup. Factor consistent production, positional eligibility and year-to-year statistical increase into your vote.

Nominee: C/LW/RW Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild

G A +/- PPP PIM SOG
26 43 23 20 12 177

The case: Granlund is one of few players who is eligible at all three forward positions. He spent the majority of his first four seasons in the league playing center, but he excelled with a primary move to the wing this year. His career high in goals and assists heading into this season were 13 and 31, respectively.

Nominee: LW/RW Viktor Arvidsson, Nashville Predators

G A +/- PPP PIM SOG
31 30 16 9 28 246

The case: Many people had no idea who Arvidsson was heading into this season. He scored just eight goals and added eight assists in 56 games last year. He has excelled as an energetic, high-volume shooter on Nashville's top line alongside C Ryan Johansen and LW/RW Filip Forsberg.

Nominee: RW David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

G A +/- PPP PIM SOG
34 36 11 24 34 262

The case: Pastrnak scored 15 goals a season ago. It was reasonable to expect 20 out of him this year, but I don't think anyone saw this type of year coming so soon. He has been an excellent addition to Boston's top line featuring C Patrice Bergeron and LW Brad Marchand. Pastrnak is a major reason why Marchand is having a breakout year of his own.

(Photos courtesy Action Images)

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