While most players have a career arc that improves gradually to an established level of production, breakout players suddenly jump up more dramatically, to a level beyond anything they've ever done before. Even a single breakout season can help a team into the postseason, but when a certain chemistry is achieved and they happen in bunches the results can be dramatic, like the Boston Bruins in 2008-09, or the Vancouver Canucks last season.
Who will be the breakout stars of 2010-11? By searching a historical database for players of similar ages and normalized statistics, and using the insights revealed by the VUKOTA projection system, we've identified 10 players with breakout potential.