Connor McDavid tops NHL Network's list of breakout players

When the 2016-17 season ended, Pittsburgh Penguins rookie forward Jake Guentzel was holding the Stanley Cup after leading the postseason with 13 goals. His 21 points in 25 playoff games put the finishing touch on the 22-year-old's breakout season.
Guentzel was one of many players in the NHL to emerge last season.

Researchers and producers from NHL Network picked their top 40 breakout players of the 2016-17 season for a special program that aired on Saturday.
Here is a look at who they selected:

1. Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers

In his second NHL season, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft led the League in scoring with 100 points (30 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games.
He won the
Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy (League MVP) and the Ted Lindsay Award (MVP as voted by the players). McDavid, 20, was a plus-27, had 30 power-play points and six game-winning goals to help the Oilers qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
McDavid had an NHL-high 14-game point streak (25 points, seven goals, 18 assists) to end the regular season, and had nine points (five goals, four assists) in 13 postseason games for the Oilers, who advanced to the Western Conference Second Round. The center, who was No. 10 on the list two seasons ago, had 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists) in 45 games in 2015-16 and was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the League's top rookie.

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2. Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning

Kucherov, 24, tied for second in the League in goals (40) and tied for fifth in points (85). He had career highs in goals, assists (45), points, power-play goals (17), power-play points (32), game-winning goals (seven) and ice time per game (19:26).
Kucherov had 10 goals in 18 games in November and 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in March. He had two goal streaks of at least four games, including two hat tricks and five four-point games. He has increased his goals and points totals in each of his four NHL seasons.

3. Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

Matthews, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, lived up to the hype. The 19-year-old scored four goals in his NHL debut on Oct. 12, and tied for second in the League in goals (40), leading rookies in goals, points (69) and shots on goal (279). He had 21 power-play points (eight goals) and eight game-winning goals, and set Maple Leafs rookie records for goals and points in a season. Matthews had three goal streaks of three or more games, including a goal in five straight from March 25-April 3. The Calder Trophy winner as the League's top rookie also had four goals in six playoff games.

4. Patrik Laine, LW, Winnipeg Jets

Laine, who turned 19 after the season, finished second among rookies in points (64) and goals (36) in 73 games and led the Jets in goals. He finished second in Calder Trophy voting and his 36 goals were the seventh-most ever by an 18-year-old player. Laine had five game-winning goals, 14 power-play points (nine goals) and three hat tricks during his first NHL season.

5. Leon Draisaitl, C, Edmonton Oilers

Draisaitl, who was No. 24 on the list last year, had 77 points (29 goals, 48 assists) in 82 games, increasing his point total by 26 and his goal total by 10. The 21-year-old had 27 power-play points (10 goals), tying for the team lead and was second on the Oilers in goals, assists and points, trailing McDavid in each category. Draisaitl had an 11-game point streak from March 14-April 4 (five goals, 14 assists) and a seven-game point streak from Jan. 16-31 (four goals, five assists). He led the Oilers in scoring in the playoffs with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 13 games, including three goals and two assists in a 7-1 win in Game 6 of the second round against the Anaheim Ducks.

6. David Pastrnak, LW, Boston Bruins

Pastrnak, 21, had 70 points and 34 goals, each a career-high and each second on the Bruins behind Brad Marchand (85 points, 39 goals), in 75 games. Pastrnak more than doubled his goal, assist and point totals from 2015-16, when he had 26 points (15 goals, 11 assists) in 51 games. He began the season with goals in three straight games and had a five-game goal streak from Oct. 26-Nov. 8. He finished the season with six game-winning goals, including two in overtime.

7. Mitchell Marner, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

Marner, 20, tied for third on the Maple Leafs in scoring (61 points) and finished fifth in Calder Trophy voting. His 42 assists led Toronto and his 19 goals ranked sixth. Marner, the No. 4 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, had 21 power-play points and four three-point games.

8. William Nylander, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

The third Toronto player in the top eight, Nylander, 21, had 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 81 games and led the Maple Leafs with 26 power-play points (nine goals). He got off to a hot start with nine points (four goals, five assists) and four multi-point games in his first six games of the season. Nylander, the No. 8 pick in the 2014 draft, was fourth on the team in goals and tied for third in points with Marner, finishing sixth in Calder Trophy voting.

9. Viktor Arvidsson, LW, Nashville Predators

In his third year in the League, Arvidsson tied for the Predators lead in goals (31) and points (61). He also had 30 assists, nine power-play points (four goals) and led the League with five shorthanded goals and tied for first with seven shorthanded points. Arvidsson, 24, finished second on Nashville with six game-winning goals and a plus-16 rating. He had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 22 playoff games.

10. Cam Talbot, G, Edmonton Oilers

Talbot's second season with the Oilers was a memorable one. The 30-year-old led the League in starts (73), was tied for first in wins (42) with Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals and was tied for third with seven shutouts. Talbot was 42-22-8 with a 2.39 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. He allowed two goals or fewer in 42 starts, helping the Oilers reach the second round of the playoffs.

11. Justin Schultz, D, Pittsburgh Penguins

Schultz had career-highs in goals (12), assists (39) and points (51), and led the Penguins with a plus-27 rating. He was a big weapon quarterbacking the power-play with 20 points (three goals). Schultz, 27, had 13 points in the playoffs (four goals, nine assists), including seven on the power play for Pittsburgh, which won the Stanley Cup for the second straight season.

12. Zach Werenski, D, Columbus Blue Jackets

Werenski, 19, led rookie defensemen in points (47), assists (36), power-play points (21), power-play goals (four), plus-minus (plus-17), and shots on goal (188). He was a huge boost to the power play and defense of the Blue Jackets, and began the season with points in four straight games and in seven of nine (including three multi-point games). The No. 8 pick in the 2015 draft, Werenski finished third in Calder Trophy voting and was named to the NHL All-Rookie team.

13. Brad Marchand, LW, Boston Bruins

Marchand, 29, led the Bruins in goals (39), assists (46) and points (85), finishing tied for fifth in the League in scoring. He has increased his goals, assists and points total in each of the past three seasons as well as his power-play production (nine goals, 24 points) and had five shorthanded points to go along with eight game-winning goals (tied for fifth in the League). Marchand was No. 38 on the list last year.

14. Ryan Ellis, D, Nashville Predators

Ellis, 26, set career-highs in goals (16) and points (38) and was a plus-17, which led the Predators. He had 11 power-play points and three game-winning goals. Ellis and Roman Josi formed one of the better offensive-minded defensive pairings in the League. Ellis had 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

15. Mark Scheifele, C, Winnipeg Jets

Scheifele led the Jets with 82 points and 50 assists and was second with 32 goals. He finished seventh in the League in points and had a shooting percentage of 20.0. Scheifele, 24, had 21 more points than he did in 2015-16 (61 points, 29 goals, 32 assists) when he was ranked No. 15 on the list. Selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2011 Draft, Scheifele had a career-high 15 power-play points and five game-winning goals last season.

16. Cam Atkinson, RW, Columbus Blue Jackets

Atkinson, 28, increased his goal total for the fifth straight season, with a career-high 35 in 82 games. His points total increased for the third straight season (62), thanks to a personal best 27 assists. Atkinson had 21 power-play points (10 goals) and three shorthanded goals in 18:05 of average ice time. He had a nine-game point streak from Dec. 5-23 (seven goals, seven assists) and helped the Blue Jackets finish with the most wins (50) and points (106) in their history.

17. Jonathan Marchessault, C, Florida Panthers

Marchessault had 11 points in October (six goals, seven assists) to start what was his best season to date. The 26-year-old had 51 points (30 goals, 21 assists) in 75 games; he had 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in 49 career games in three seasons prior. He finished first on the Panthers in goals and third in points and tied for first in power-play goals (eight) and power-play points (18). He was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft on June 21.

18. Pat Maroon, LW, Edmonton Oilers

Maroon, 29, had career highs in goals (27) and points (42) in 81 games with the Oilers, finding success with McDavid. Maroon had a career-high five game-winning goals and plus-13 rating and had eight points (three goals, five assists) in 13 playoff games. He had four multi-goal games, including a hat trick in a 4-3 win against the Bruins on Jan. 5.

19. Jake Guentzel, C, Pittsburgh Penguins

Guentzel's success began prior to leading the playoffs with 13 goals and scoring 21 points in the postseason. In 40 regular-season games, he had 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists), including two goals in his NHL debut Nov. 21 and a goal in each of the final five games of the regular season. Guentzel scored a hat trick, including the winner in a 5-4 overtime victory against the Blue Jackets in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round.

20. Mikael Granlund, C, Minnesota Wild

The 25-year-old center had a breakout season which included a 12-game point streak from Jan. 12-Feb. 4 (five goals, 12 assists). Granlund led the Wild with 43 assists and 69 points, and was second with 26 goals. He excelled in all situations, playing 18:49 per game with 20 power-play points (tying for the team lead) and three shorthanded goals. Granlund was a plus-23 and had a personal best 14.7 shooting percentage, doubling his goal total from 2015-16.

21. Sebastian Aho, RW, Carolina Hurricanes

Aho, 19, had an impressive rookie season with the Hurricanes, scoring 49 points (24 goals, 25 assists) in 82 games. He had 17 power-play points (six goals), four game-winning goals and was third on Carolina with 214 shots on goal. He had eight points (three goals, five assists) during a six-game point streak from March 16-25 and had his first NHL hat trick in a 5-1 win against the Flyers on Jan. 31.

22. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Winnipeg Jets

Ehlers, 21, finished tied for third on the Jets with 64 points, fourth with 25 goals and tied for third with 39 assists in his second NHL season. Ehlers' ice time increased from 16:06 to 17:29 and he played in 82 games as an integral part of the Jets offense. He had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) during a five-game point streak from Nov. 4-11 and had a seven-game point streak (five goals, four assists) from Dec. 31-Jan 13.

23. Rickard Rakell, C, Anaheim Ducks

Rakell led the Ducks with 33 goals last season and had 18 assists for a career-high 51 points (fourth on Anaheim) despite missing 11 games. He was a plus-10 with 12 power-play points and had a shooting percentage of 18.6 (sixth among players with at least 15 goals). Rakell, 24, who was No. 29 on the list in 2015-16, also had 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 13 playoff games last season.

24. Jared Spurgeon, D, Minnesota Wild

Spurgeon, 27, set career highs in points (38) and assists (28) to go along with 10 goals in 76 games, the second straight season he has scored at least 10. Spurgeon was a plus-33 and led Minnesota in blocked shots (140), averaging almost two blocks per game (1.8).

25. Jake Gardiner, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Gardiner, 27, finished one goal shy of tying his career high of 10, but still had the most assists (34) and points (43) in his NHL career. In his sixth season with Toronto, he was a plus-ranked player (plus-24) for the first time in the League and was an asset on the power play (14 points). Gardiner had two overtime goals during the regular season and helped the Maple Leafs advance to the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season. He also had 83 blocked shots in 82 games.

26. Conor Sheary, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins

Following a strong showing in the 2016 playoffs (10 points in 23 games), Sheary picked up where he left off, with 53 points (23 goals, 30 assists) in his second NHL season, with five power-play points and six game-winning goals. Sheary, 25, who had Sidney Crosby as a linemate, finished the season with 15 multi-point games, and three three-point games to help the Penguins win their second straight title.

27. Alex Wennberg, C, Columbus Blue Jackets

Wennberg had career highs in games played (80), goals (13), assists (46), points (59), plus-minus (plus-9), power-play goals (two), power-play points (23), game-winning goals (five) and shots on goal (109). The 22-year-old finished second on the Blue Jackets in points and first in assists and averaged 18:22 of ice time per game, trailing only Nick Foligno (18:25) among Columbus forwards.

28. Dougie Hamilton, D, Calgary Flames

In his second season in Calgary, Hamilton had career highs in goals (13), assists (37), points (50) and game-winning goals (five). Hamilton, who finished ninth among defensemen in scoring, played 81 games and had a career-high 222 shots on goal. He helped the Flames tie a Calgary record with 10 straight wins from February 21-March 13 and qualify for the playoffs.

29. Jonathan Drouin, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning

Drouin had his most productive season in the NHL by far: his 21 goals and 53 points exceed his point totals from his first two seasons combined. In the absence of center Steven Stamkos, Drouin had more ice time (17:42 per game) and finished second on the Lightning in power-play goals (nine) and power-play assists (17). The No. 3 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, Drouin, 22, had three two-goal games and three three-point games in his third NHL season. He was
traded to the Montreal Canadiens on June 15
.

30. Jason Zucker, LW, Minnesota Wild

Zucker, 25, bested his previous career high in goals by one, scoring 22, to go along with 25 assists, and his 47 points were more than double his 2015-16 total (23). Zucker's plus-34 tied for the League high with teammate Ryan Suter, and he had points in six of seven games from Jan. 21-Feb. 4.

31. Ivan Provorov, D, Philadelphia Flyers

Provorov, 20, had 30 points (six goals, 24 assists) in 82 games in his rookie season. He led the Flyers in ice time (21:58) and finished tied for fifth in the League in blocks (166). Selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft by Philadelphia, Provorov also found success on the power-play with five assists.

32. Anders Lee, LW, New York Islanders

Lee, 27, led the Islanders in goals (34) and finished third in points (52), setting career-highs in each. His nine power-play goals and six game-winning goals also were career-highs. Lee had a personal best shooting percentage of 17.8 and had eight two-goal games. After starting the season with one goal in 18 games, he had seven in his next eight and 11 in 14 games.

33. Nino Niederreiter, RW, Minnesota Wild

Niederreiter, 24, had career highs in goals (25), assists (32), points (57), plus-minus (plus-17) and power-play points (14), and led the Wild in power-play goals (eight), averaging 15:04 of ice time per game. It was the third-straight season he had at least 20 goals. Niederreiter had five goals in the final six games of the regular season and had six multi-goal games to help the Wild finish with a franchise-best 49 wins and 106 points.

34. Richard Panik, LW, Chicago Blackhawks

Panik had an October to remember with six goals in his first six games, including his first NHL hat trick in his third game of the season. The 22-year-old had career highs in goals (22), assists (22), points (44), plus-minus (plus-14), power-play points (nine), power-play goals (four) and game-winning goals (five) in 82 games. Panik had a seven-game point streak (five goals, five assists) from Feb. 11-March 1.

35. Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Tampa Bay Lightning

In his third season in the League, Vasilevskiy had career highs in games played (50), starts (47), wins (23) and shutouts (two). He had a 2.61 GAA and. 917 SV%, and began the season with a 6-1-1 record and a .951 save percentage in his first eight starts, which included back-to-back shutouts. Vasilevskiy, 22, won six of his final eight starts of the season, allowing a total of 18 goals in that stretch.

36. Brady Skjei, D, New York Rangers

Skjei, 23, finished second among rookie defensemen in scoring with 39 points (five goals, 34 assists). He had the second-most points among Rangers defensemen, behind Ryan McDonagh (42) and had seven power-play points and was a plus-11 in 17:27 of ice time. Skjei had the most points by a Rangers rookie defenseman since Brian Leetch had 71 in 1988-89, and was named to the NHL All-Rookie team.

37. Nikita Zaitsev, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

Zaitsev, 25, had 36 points (four goals, 32 assists) in 82 games during his rookie season, and ranked second among Maple Leafs defensemen, behind Gardiner (43 points). He also had 12 power-play points and was second on Toronto in ice time per game (22:01), trailing defenseman and teammate Morgan Rielly (22:10).

38. Mattias Ekholm, D, Nashville Predators

Ekholm, 27, had 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) and a career-high 120 shots on goal in 82 games with the Predators. Along with his defense partner, P.K. Subban, they formed one of the top shutdown pairs during the regular season, which carried over into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ekholm had 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 22 postseason games, helping Nashville reach the Cup Final.

39. Brock Nelson, C, New York Islanders

Nelson, 26, had 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) in 81 games with the Islanders, including six power-play points and four game-winning goals. It was the third straight season he played at least 81 games and scored at least 20 goals. Nelson started the season with points in five straight games and ended it with three goals in four games, including a goal and two assists in his final regular-season game.

40. Mikko Rantanen, RW, Colorado Avalanche

Rantanen, 20, had 38 points (20 goals, 18 assists) in his rookie season with the Avalanche, leading them in goals and tying for third in points. He also had 10 power-play points (four power-play goals) and two game-winning goals, including one in overtime. Selected by Colorado with the No. 10 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, Rantanen also won 58 percent of his faceoffs last season.