NHL 22 is just days away, and right now the anticipation is bubbling to the surface as new features get unveiled for Franchise Mode.
With an expanded Expansion Draft along with the arrival of Superstar X Factors just scratching the surface, NHL 22 Franchise Mode is seeing some major upgrades this year.
NHL 22 will take Franchise Mode to the next (gen) level on all platforms
There are a lot of different ways that Franchise Mode is getting a boost in NHL 22, but perhaps the most exciting part of the news is that these upgrades won't be next gen exclusive.
No matter which platform you're playing NHL 22 on, the improvements to Franchise Mode will carry over.
This comes in stark contrast to other titles like NBA 2K22 and Madden 22 which have gated big improvements like The City or Gameday Momentum behind a next gen barrier.
While NHL 22 might not have a player base quite as massive as NBA 2K22 or Madden 22 does, they're introducing a new feature this year that's directly aimed at the NHL 22 community.
Roster Sharing targeted for December 2021 release date
Arguably the biggest reveal in the most recent Deep Dive for NHL 22 Franchise Mode was that Roster Sharing is officially coming to the series.
While fans will unfortunately have to wait, they did state that the update which will include Roster Sharing is currently targeted to be released in early December 2021.
When it goes live, players will be able to share any roster they've already created as an online community creation that others can download.
This is a huge step forward in embracing and further empowering the content creators with the NHL 22 fan community who are sure to make some epic historical and modern day rosters available.
Further expanding the Expansion Draft
With the Seattle Kraken now officially joining the league, they'll join NHL 22 as well, but the game will take another step in expanding the existing Expansion Draft system.
While you can choose to do an Expansion Draft for what will be a 32-team league (the total with the new Kraken addition), you can also add yet another team and do a 33-team league with a custom team on top of the Kraken being in the NHL.
There will also be several different settings for the Expansion Draft allowing you to decide whether Seattle is exempt from the Expansion Draft, choosing whether to use real-life protected players lists or create your own, and more.
The amount of customization that will be available all sounds really good, as it seems NHL 22 will continue to leave as many option available as it can for dedicated and casual Franchise players.
X Factors, Scouting, and Line Chemistry
Superstar X Factors are a big addition this year, and that upgrade will be felt throughout all the different game modes in NHL 22.
Franchise Mode is no different, as you'll see X Factors now play a role in Scouting and being able to pinpoint prospects that may have access to certain X Factor abilities.
On top of that, they'll become a whole new variable to consider when developing Line Chemistry in Franchise Mode.
As before, player type will affect Line Chemistry, but different X Factor abilities will also interact and complement each other, allowing you to further bolster Line Chemistry with them or make up for a lack of Chemistry with them.
Players won't have to wait long to try things out themselves as NHL 22 Trial is set to release on October 7, 2021 with Early Access not far out.