NHL 22 is just a few weeks away from release now!
So, check out which players have made it into the NHL 22 X Factors this year, along with all the latest news below.
Latest - Next Gen Review in Progress
NHL 22 is the first game in the series to move to Next Gen, with plenty of new features coming to the game on the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The developers working on NHL 22 have absolutely delivered on the next level graphics promised before the game was released.
For our full NHL 22 Next Gen review, head here!
All NHL 22 X Factor Players & Abilities (so far)
X Factor abilities are only coming to a few players this year and as they're revealed we'll be debuting each player and ability here.
We can assume from the NHL 22 Gameplay Trailer that these players will have X Factors this year.
Auston Matthews - Shock and Awe
The cover athlete for NHL 22 is of course going to get an X Factor this year. Shock and Awe is also really fitting for Auston Matthews, as he's incredible at shooting off a deke.
Shock and Awe gives you exceptional power and accuracy shooting out of, or slightly after, a successful deke.
Artemi Panarin - Make it Snappy
Artemi Panarin gets a great X Factor that was revealed in the NHL 22 Gameplay trailer called Make it Snappy.
This X Factor will give you a huge boost to power and accuracy when taking a snapshot, but only while you're skating.
Connor McDavid - Wheels
McDavid is a speedster on the ice, so it makes sense that he'd get a skating X Factor this year. Prepare to activate Wheels when playing as Connor McDavid.
The Wheels X Factor gives you the ability to beat anyone, anytime with the puck. You also won't be hit with any agility, speed, or acceleration penalties while skating with the puck.
Leon Draisaitl - Tape to Tape
One of the best passers in the NHL gets a very special ability in NHL 22 with Tape to Tape. See everything and be ready for everything is the calling card for this ability.
This ability allows you to auto-saucer and gets increased backhand accuracy and reduced power penalties on passes within your vision.
Andrei Vasilevskiy - Contortionist
Skaters aren't the only players receiving X Factors in NHL 22, that's right, even Goalies will have X Factors applied to them.
Contortionist gives you the ability to twist around and make clutch stops in NHL 22. When a goalie activates this ability, he gets increased save range, recovery, and ability while in spread V with or against momentum.
X Factor Categories & Tiers
X Factor abilities are split up into categories. The X Factors are separated to make each ability unique to the player and are divided into six total categories.
- Shooting
- Skating
- Passing
- Hockey IQ
- Defennding
- Goaltending
There will be a total of 29 X Factor abilities that will make their way into the categories and be assigned to players in two tiers.
The two tiers are:
- Premier Zone Ability
- Secondary Superstar Ability
All X Factors in NHL 22
Each of these X Factors is new features that will impact the game in its own unique way, depending on which category they're in.
Here's the list of all the X Factors in NHL 22 by category:
Shooting:
- Make It Snappy: Get a huge boost to power and accuracy when taking snapshots while skating.
- Snipe: Settle shots more easily and get additional shot accuracy and power on shots after settling. Keep calm and place your shots.
- One Tee: Blast one-timers into the net every time. Get a huge boost to power and accuracy on one-time shots, even if the pass from your teammate was… less than ideal.
- Thunder Clap: They’ll hear the buzzer before they even see the puck. Get extra power and accuracy on slap shots from the point when this ability is activated.
- Heatseeker: Find the twine with massively increased power and accuracy on wrist and snapshots from the point. Get that perfect placement and speed, even from distance.
- Shock And Awe: Get exceptional power and accuracy shooting out of, or shortly after, a successful deke.
Skating:
- Wheels: Beat anyone, anytime with the puck. You won’t get any agility, speed, or acceleration penalties when skating with the puck.
- Elite Edges: Make tight, seemingly impossible turns anywhere on the ice without sacrificing maneuverability or speed.
- Ankle Breaker: Deke opponents at top speed without any penalty whatsoever. They’ll be watching you fly down the ice before they know what hit ’em.
- In Reverse: You’ll be as good skating backward (or any other direction) as you are at skating forwards with this ability, and you can switch to back skating on a dime without any penalty to speed or acceleration.
Passing:
- Tape To Tape: Handy ability to auto-saucer, and get increased backhand accuracy and reduced power penalties on passes within your vision. See everything, be ready for everything.
- Send It: Pull the strings from anywhere on the ice by getting a huge increase to pass assist and ability to auto saucer long distance passes.
- Magnetic: Make that loose puck yours with this brilliant ability to pick them up with speed, as well as to coral bouncing or rolling pucks easily, and snatch up poor passes.
- Third Eye: There are no blind spots for you when your Third Eye activates. Use this ability to hit seemingly impossible passes to teammates outside your field of vision.
Hockey IQ:
- Puck On A String: Be a magician with the puck, thanks to lightning-quick stickhandling moves and toe drags. Now they see the puck, now they don’t.
- Quick Pick: Snatch the puck from anyone in the blink of an eye. Increase puck interception rate and range.
- All Alone: You might be on an island, but you’ve still got moves. Get increased accuracy and power on your penalty shots and breakaways.
- Quick Draw: It’s high noon for you every time you line up for a faceoff. Gain a high success rate on faceoffs, with extra quickness on face-off draws, increased effectiveness on tie-up wins, and a big advantage in defensive zone draws.
- It’s Tricky: You’ve got more than a few tricks up your sleeves with this ability at the ready. Get a much higher success rate with trick dekes, while also boosting your shooting accuracy immediately afterward.
- Crease Crasher: Turn any opportunity into a chance at glory with this uncanny ability to coral bouncing pucks and get a boost to your accuracy after collecting them.
- Big Tipper: Knock even the most accurate shots away from your goal with improved deflection range, accuracy, and speed.
Defending:
- YOINK!: Snatch that puck away with a higher stick lift success rate, and leave them hanging while they take longer than usual to recover from your trickery.
- Stick ‘Em Up: You’re a master of the ancient art of defensive stick handling. Get a much higher success rate with the Defensive Skill Stick, even against momentum or at speed.
- Shutdown: Take on anyone, anywhere as you get a huge boost to defensive abilities when taking on the puck carrier 1-on-1.
Goaltending:
- Contortionist: Twist around to make clutch stops seemingly impossible for most humans. When a goalie activates this ability, he gets increased save range, recovery, and ability while in spread V with or against momentum.
- All Or Nothing: Take away your opponents’ chance to shoot before they even think about it with a high success rate (including range, accuracy, and recovery) at poke checks in front of the goal.
- Dialed In: When you’re Dialed In, it feels like nobody can stop you. After making 15 saves in a game, this ability activates and heavily boosts goalie reaction time, recovery, and save ability for the rest of the game.
- Post To Post: Make elite post to post saves that most goalies only dream of doing. Get an impressive boost to reaction time, recovery, and save ability when going post to post.