The NHL franchise has entered the next generation with NHL 22, and this year’s game also includes an addition that has been imported over from Madden: Superstar X-Factors. X-Factors are, in layman’s terms, special abilities that give specific boosts to a particular player, and these boosts can range from generic boosts like increases to faceoffs, to more defined ones, like boosted slap shots from the point. Also, it’s important to note that there are two different types of X-Factors: Superstar abilities and higher-degree Zone abilities.

There’s a lot to breakdown, so let’s go over all the Zone abilities, Superstar abilities, and a look at each player that has an X-Factor in NHL 22.

All Zone X-Factors in NHL 22

These special zone abilities have been broken down into six categories: Skating, Shooting, Passing, Defending, Goaltending, and Hockey IQ. The full list is as follows:

Skating

  • Wheels – Elite Skating with PuckElite Edges – Elite Agility in Direction ChangesIn Reverse – Elite Back Skating AbilityAnkle Breaker – Elite Dekes at Higher Speed

Shooting

  • Make it Snappy – Elite Snap Shot in StrideShnipe – Elite Puck SettilingOne Tee – Elite One TimersThunderclap – Elite Slap Shot from PointHeatseeker – Elite Wrist ShotsBeauty Backhand – Elite BackhandShock and Awe – Elite Shooting out of Toe Drag

Passing

  • Tape to Tape – Elite Passing Within VisionSend It – Elite Long PassingMagnetic – Elite Pass Reception and Puck Pick UpThird Eye – Elite Peripheral Passer

Defending

  • Yoink! – Elite Defensive Stick LiftsStick ‘Em Up – Elite Defensive StickShutdown – Great Rush Defending

Goaltending

  • Contortionist – Elite Wild Saves AbilityAll or Nothing – Elite Poke CheckingDialed In– Maximize Saves when on a RollPost to Post – Elite Post to Post Saves

Hockey IQ

  • Puck on a String – Elite Stick HandlingQuick Pick – Elite Puck InterceptionsAll Alone – Elite Breakaway FinishesQuick Draw – Elite Faceoff AbilityIt’s Tricky – Elite Trick ShootingCrease Crasher – Elite Rebound OpportunistBig Tipper – Elite Shot Deflections

Superstar Abilities

Now here’s a look at the Superstar abilities:

  • Dialed In* – Boosts saves when on a rollButterfly Effect* – Great Butterfly goalieHandled It* – 1-on-1 saves boost team energyContortionist* – Great wild saves abilityLast Stand* – Great 1-on-1 savesWhirlwind* – Consecutive saves boost energyAdventurer* – Great goalie skatingSponge* – Great rebound controlAll or Nothing* – Great poke checkingPost to Post* – Great post to post savesX-Ray* – Great vision through screensHeatseeker – Great wrist shotsSeeing Eye – Great shot through screensSend It – Great long passingBig Rig – Great drives to netUnstoppable Force – Great strength with the puckNo Contest – Great puck battlingQuick Draw – Great faceoff abilityQuick Pick – Great puck interceptionAnkle Breaker – Great dekes at higher speedThird Eye – Great peripheral passerTape to Tape – Great passing within visionYoink! – Great defensive stick liftsPuck on a String – Great stick handlingOne Tee – Great one timersIt’s Tricky – Great trick shootingWheels – Great skating with puckShnipe – Great puck settlingBorn Leader – Boosts team energy on goalsTotal Eclipse – Great goalie screeningBig Tipper – Great shot deflectionsClose Quarters – Great in close shootingMagnetic – Great pass reception and puck pick upStick ‘Em Up – Great defensive stickBouncer – Great net battlingShutdown – Elite rush defendingIce Pack – Great shot blockingSpin-o-rama – Great spin-o-rama abilityBack at Ya – Increase payback to hittersShock and Awe – Great shooting out of toe dragIn Reverse – Great back skating abilityMake it Snappy – Great snap shot in strideElite Edges – Great agility in direction changesOff the Rush – Great slap shot on the rushTruculence – Great hitterBeauty Backhand – Great backhandCrease Crasher – Great rebound opportunistThunder Clap – Great slap shot from the point

Note: * denotes goalie-only ability

X-Factor Players in NHL 22

Here’s a full list of players that will start NHL 22 with X-Factor Zone Abilities:

  • Bruins C Patrice Bergeron – Yoink!Bruins LW Brad Marchand – Make it SnappyBruins RW David Pastrnak – ShnipeSabres C Jack Eichel – Make it SnappyFlames LW Matthew Tkachuk – It’s TrickyHurricanes C Sebastian Aho – Third EyeHurricanes D Jaccob Slavin – ShutdownBlackhawks RW Alex DeBrincat – Make it SnappyBlackhawks G Marc-Andre Fleury – All-or-NothingBlackhawks D Seth Jones – Quick PickBlackhawks RW Patrick Kane – Puck on a StringAvalanche LW Gabriel Landeskog – Crease CrasherAvalanche C Nathan MacKinnon – Ankle BreakerAvalanche D Cale Makar – Elite EdgesAvalanche RW Mikko Rantanen – Tape to TapeStars RW Joe Pavelski – Big TipperOilers C Leon Draisaitl – Tape to TapeOilers C Connor McDavid – WheelsPanthers C Aleksander Barkov – All AlonePanthers LW Jonathan Huberdeau – Tape to TapeKings C Anze Kopitar – Quick PickWild LW Kirill Kaprizov – Tape to TapeCanadiens G Carey Price – Post to PostPredators D Roman Josi – Send ItDevils D Dougie Hamilton – HeatseekerIslanders C Mat Barzal – Elite EdgesRangers D Adam Fox – Tape to TapeRangers LW Artemi Panarin – Make it SnappyRangers C Mika Zibanejad – MagneticFlyers C Sean Courturier – Stick ‘Em UpPenguins C Sidney Crosby – Beauty BackhandPenguins LW Jake Guentzel – ShnipePenguins D Kris Letang – In ReverseBlues C Ryan O’Reilly – Quick DrawLightning D Victor Hedman – Stick ‘Em UpLightning RW Nikita Kucherov – Make it SnappyLightning C Brayden Point – WheelsLightning C Steven Stamkos – One TeeLightning G Andrei Vasilevskiy – ContortionistMaple Leafs RW Mitch Marner – Third EyeMaple Leafs C Auston Matthews – Shock and AweCanucks C Elias Pettersson – Third EyeGolden Knights D Alex Pietrangelo – ShutdownGolden Knights RW Mark Stone – Yoink!Golden Knights D Shea Theodore – HeatseekerCapitals D John Carlson – Thunder ClapCapitals LW Alex Ovechkin – One TeeJets LW Kyle Connor – WheelsJets G Connor Hellebuyck – Dialed InJets C Mark Scheifele – Shnipe

Keep in mind that this list is subject to change throughout the year.