Panarin Kane panel

As the 2015-16 NHL regular season comes to a close, NHL.com's fantasy hockey staff has reflected on the players that have defined the overall landscape, for better or worse.
Pete Jensen, David Satriano, Sean McCullen, Brian Metzer and Matt Cubeta have made their picks, identifying the best fantasy players at each position based on Yahoo eligibility. Each writer has also voted on his biggest surprise, disappointment and top rookie based on standard-league category coverage, as well as an early bounce-back and sleeper candidate for next season.

NOTES: If a player is eligible at multiple positions in Yahoo leagues, then it is the writer's choice to nominate that player for any eligible positional fantasy award. ... Standard leagues categories include goals, assists, plus-minus, penalty minutes, power-play points and shots on goal for skaters, and wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts for goalies.
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PETE JENSEN (@NHLJensen):

Overall MVP: Patrick Kane (Runner-up: Sidney Crosby)
Center MVP: Crosby (Runner-up: Joe Thornton)
Left Wing MVP: Alex Ovechkin (Runner-up: Jamie Benn)
Right Wing MVP: Kane (Runner-up: Joe Pavelski)
Defenseman MVP: Brent Burns (Runner-up: Erik Karlsson)
Goalie MVP: Ben Bishop (Runner-up: Braden Holtby)
Standout rookie: Artemi Panarin (Runner-up: Connor McDavid)
Biggest surprise: Kyle Palmieri (Runner-up: Shayne Gostisbehere)
Biggest underachiever: Jakub Voracek (Runner-up: Tyler Johnson)
Bounce-back candidate: John Tavares (Additional pick: Marian Hossa)
Sleeper for 2016-17: Sam Reinhart (Additional pick: William Nylander)
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DAVID SATRIANO (@davidsatriano):

Overall MVP: Kane (Runner-up: Benn)
Center MVP: Crosby (Runner-up: Pavelski)
Left Wing MVP: Benn (Runner-up: Johnny Gaudreau)
Right Wing MVP: Kane (Runner-up: Vladimir Tarasenko)
Defenseman MVP: Burns (Runner-up: Karlsson)
Goalie MVP: Holtby (Runner-up: Bishop)
Standout rookie: Panarin (Runner-up: McDavid)
Biggest surprise: Vincent Trocheck (Runner-up: Evgeny Kuznetsov)
Biggest underachiever: Nick Foligno (Runner-up: Voracek)
Bounce-back candidate: Johnson (Additional pick: Chris Kunitz)
Sleeper for 2016-17: Joonas Donskoi (Additional pick: Elias Lindholm)
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SEAN MCCULLEN (@McBrooklyn77):

Overall MVP: Kane (Runner-up: Karlsson)
Center MVP: Kuznetsov (Runner-up: Crosby)
Left Wing MVP: Ovechkin (Runner-up: Benn)
Right Wing MVP: Kane (Runner-up: Tarasenko)
Defenseman MVP: Karlsson (Runner-up: Burns)
Goalie MVP: Holtby (Runner-up: Martin Jones)
Standout rookie: Panarin (Runner-up: Gostisbehere)
Biggest surprise: Thornton (Runner-up: Jones)
Biggest underachiever: Tavares (Runner-up: Voracek)
Bounce-back candidate: Voracek (Additional pick: Johnson)
Sleeper for 2016-17: Robby Fabbri (Additional pick: Carl Hagelin)
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BRIAN METZER (@Brian\_Metzer):

Overall MVP: Kane (Runner-up: Benn)
Center MVP: Crosby (Runner-up: Pavelski)
Left Wing MVP: Benn (Runner-up: Gaudreau)
Right Wing MVP: Kane (Runner-up: Ovechkin)
Defenseman MVP: Karlsson (Runner-up: Burns)
Goalie MVP: Holtby (Runner-up: Jonathan Quick)
Standout rookie: Panarin (Runner-up: McDavid)
Biggest surprise: Kuznetsov (Runner-up: Trocheck)
Biggest underachiever: Phil Kessel (Runner-up: Voracek)
Bounce-back candidate: Johnson (Additional pick: Logan Couture)
Sleeper for 2016-17: Nylander (Additional pick: Nail Yakupov)
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MATT CUBETA (@NHLQubes):

Overall MVP: Kane (Runner-up: Benn)
Center MVP: Pavelski (Runner-up: Crosby)
Left Wing MVP: Benn (Runner-up: Ovechkin)
Right Wing MVP: Kane (Runner-up: Tarasenko)
Defenseman MVP: Burns (Runner-up: Karlsson)
Goalie MVP: Holtby (Runner-up: Bishop)
Standout rookie: Panarin (Runner-up: John Gibson)
Biggest surprise: Panarin (Runner-up: Palmieri)
Biggest underachiever: Henrik Zetterberg (Runner-up: Pekka Rinne)
Bounce-back candidate: Couture (Additional pick: Rick Nash)
Sleeper for 2016-17: Sam Bennett (Additional pick: J.T. Miller)