Now that the majority of the offseason has passed and the 2018-19 season is
nearing, it';s time to look at each team';s goals for the season and how they
can achieve them. One way to do this is by looking at each team';s roster and
determining which player is the X Factor, the player most vital for his team to
 succeed this season.

Starting with the Atlantic Division, the one with arguably the most disparity
between its top and bottom teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning,
 and Boston Bruins are Stanley Cup contenders while the Montreal Canadiens,
Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators could fight for last place in the
league.

The division also had a lot of turnovers this offseason. The Maple Leafs added
John Tavares, the Florida Panthers acquired Mike Hoffman, and the Buffalo
Sabres drafted Rasmus Dahlin with the first overall pick. Despite how important
 each player will be to his team, only one is his team';s X Factor and will be
a difference-maker this season.The Buffalo Sabres selected Rasmus Dahlin with
the first overall pick at this year';s draft. He will immediately strengthen
their blue line and anchor it for years to come. Yet, he isn';t their X Factor
in 2018-19. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Let';s take a look at each of the eight teams and who I chose to be the X
Factor. Let me know in the comments below if you agree with the decisions or if
 you feel there is a better option.Boston BruinsDavid Backes

Sure, the Bruins are led by their top line of David Pastrnak, Patrice
Bergeron, and Brad Marchand, the best players on the roster. And if any of them
 missed significant time, the Bruins'; season would be in jeopardy. All three
are consistent 25-to-30 goal-scorers and hover around a point per game each
season.

But it';s the lack of scoring depth that hindered the Bruins last season and
could do again. That';s where David Backes comes in. He played in 57 games last
 season, his lowest since his rookie season, and his 33 points were his fewest
since the lockout year of 2012-13. He was one of a group of Bruins that
included David Krejci, Danton Heinen, Jake Debrusk, and Riley Nash who had
between 30 and 50 points, which was not enough production.

This season, Nash is gone and Backes needs to return to health and rebound
offensively. The good news is that he still had positive five-on-five metrics,
as he has the majority of his career. Last season, the Bruins controlled 57.1
percent of five-on-five shots with him on the ice and his only sub-50 percent
metrics were control of goals and high-danger scoring chances.David Backes
missed 25 games last season and wasn';t productive even when he played. The
Bruins need him to rebound and provide middle-six production, helping to take
the strain off the top line. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

At 34, he is approaching the twilight of his career. While he has played in at
least 80 percent of games every season except for his rookie year and last
season, being healthy is no longer a given for him. The Bruins need him to
produce in a middle-six role not only to provide depth offense but also
because of his $6-million cap hit for the next three seasons, which makes him
nearly unmovable given his age and health.

Other Options: Tuukka Rask, Jaroslav Halak, and Zdeno CharaBuffalo SabresCasey
 Mittelstadt

Casey Mittelstadt, the Sabres'; 2017 first round pick, had a magical 2017-18
season. As a freshman with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, he was second on the
team with 30 points in 34 games. He also represented the United States at the
World Junior Championships and had 11 points in seven games to tie for the
tournament lead. After his collegiate season ended, he joined the Sabres for
six games and posted a goal and five points.

He is expected to fill the void left by the Ryan O';Reilly trade, which makes
Mittelstadt vital to the team';s success. While he won';t be as strong a
two-way center as O';Reilly, Mittelstadt looked ready for the NHL last season.
If he succeeds, he and Jack Eichel will give the Sabres a great one-two punch
at center and, along with Rasmus Dahlin and improved goaltending, could propel
the Sabres to a .500 record or better.

However, if he stumbles and needs time to develop, the team';s center depth
will be a problem. Sam Reinhart, a natural center, played on the wing last
season and Patrik Berglund, one of the returns for O';Reilly, is one of the
game';s better third-line centers and should remain in that role. Mittelstadt
should have a long and successful NHL career but the question of how long it
takes to manifest is key.

Other Options: Rasmus Dahlin, Carter Hutton/Linus UllmarkDetroit Red
WingsDylan Larkin

Red Wings center Dylan Larkin has had three up-and-down seasons so far. He had
45 points in 80 games as a 19-year-old rookie in 2015-16 and regressed to 32
points in 80 games two seasons ago. Last year, however, he bounced back with 16
 goals and a career-high 63 points, which led the team. He also took on a
bigger role by averaging more than 19 minutes, was a consistent presence on the
 penalty kill, and started more often in the defensive zone.

The question that remains is what does Detroit have in Larkin? His
inconsistency across three seasons makes predicting future output difficult and
 is one reason why contract negotiations continue. Despite those
inconsistencies, it is evident that he is a key part of the team';s future and
has been the main piece of their rebuild since it began.Dylan Larkin has been
Detroit';s best young player for several seasons. However, with three
inconsistent campaigns, creating expectations has been difficult and it remains
 to be seen if he can be a long-term first line center. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY
Sports)

Is he a long-term top center? Larkin is the only Red Wings center under the age
 of 29 and Henrik Zetterberg is the only other candidate for top center. Future
 possibilities to take on the role include Michael Rasmussen, Joe Veleno, and
Jonatan Berggren, but all are at least a year away.

For now, it remains Larkin. On a roster surrounded by aging veterans in or
approaching the twilight of their career, he stands out, especially at his
position. If Detroit begins climbing out of its rebuild, it will be because he
took another step forward and laid claim to that top role. However, if he
can';t be their first line center, the Red Wings will have to acquire or
develop one.

Other Options: Thomas VanekFlorida PanthersMike Hoffman

The Panthers recently acquired Hoffman from the Senators by way of the San Jose
 Sharks following much-publicized off-ice events. They paid pennies on the
dollar for him as the deal required only three draft picks. With Hoffman,
Florida gets a top-line scorer with four straight 20-goal seasons, including a
career-high 29 in 2015-16.Mike Hoffman was a cheap acquisition for the Panthers
 following his off-ice issues. This season, the four-time 20-goal scorer will
look to put those issues behind him and help the Panthers return to the
postseason. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Last season, he had 22 goals with eight coming on the man advantage and 56
points in 82 games with the Senators. While he has yet to reach the 30-goal
threshold, in Florida he will be surrounded by the most talent of his career
and will have every opportunity to surpass that mark.

Given that the Panthers missed the postseason by one point last season, the
result of tying for 14th in goals for and having the 21st-ranked power play
with a plus-two goal differential, they will benefit from Hoffman';s talent. He
 provides them with the borderline elite scoring abilities they';ve been
missing despite their playmakers.

Of course, for those abilities to translate to on-ice success and for the team
to return to the playoffs, it will take moving past his off-ice issues and for
him and his fiance to be accepted off the ice.

Other Options: Roberto Luongo and James ReimerMontreal CanadiensMax Domi

After three inconsistent seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, the Canadiens
acquired Max Domi for Alex Galchenyuk in a trade of two players who need a
fresh start. With the Coyotes last season, Domi had nine goals and 45 points in
 82 games. His nine goals matched his 2016-17 total and both were lower than
the 18 he scored as a rookie in 2015-16.

He averaged the fewest goals and points per game of his career last season, and
 his 45.5 shots-for and 48.5 goals-for percentages at five-on-five were
career-lows. His shots-for percentage would have been last among Canadiens
players with at least 800 five-on-five minutes while his goals-for percentage
would have been second-highest last season.The Montreal Canadiens hope that Max
 Domi can find consistency with them after they acquired him from the Arizona
Coyotes this summer. His work will be cut out for him, however, as the
23-year-old had career-low scoring averages last season and is most likely a
middle-six forward. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Domi is Montreal';s most important player because the trade he was acquired in
closed the door on Galchenyuk';s tenure with them. It means that the
controversy surrounding Galchenyuk and the question of whether he is a first
line center are gone, but that doesn';t mean they won the trade.

Domi is the less valuable player and doesn';t have Galchenyuk';s upside and
there is a chance the Canadiens dealt a potential top-line center, the very
player they need. For the trade to be a draw, Montreal needs Domi to become a
20-goal, 60-point player. But if he fails in that endeavor, they will have
received the lesser value in a trade again and could be on the verge of a
longer-than-expected rebuild.

Other Options: Carey PriceOttawa SenatorsMatt Duchene

Erik Karlsson is the Senators'; best player and is most vital to the team';s
success this season but that';s suggesting they have a chance to be
competitive, which they don';t. Since acquiring Matt Duchene last November, the
 trade has been a bust for the Sens. At the time, it made sense: they were one
goal away from advancing to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, had a 9-10-6 record,
and Karlsson was close to returning from injury.Although the Ottawa Senators
acquired Matt Duchene less than a year ago, they will look to deal him this
season to recoup assets they gave up in the original transaction. (Greg M.
Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)

They gave up assets that suggested Duchene is a first-line center, which he
isn';t, and he was unable to save a team that overperformed in 2016-17. But, he
 was productive last season. In 68 games with the Senators, he had 23 goals, 49
 points, eight power-play goals, and won 52.3 percent of his faceoffs. However,
 his five-on-five metrics were poor and he dragged down his most common
linemates, Bobby Ryan and Mike Hoffman.

Now Hoffman';s gone and it looks like Karlsson will follow suit and the
Senators won';t be competitive this season. This is a franchise in need of a
rebuild that should start with a Duchene trade. They chose to keep their fourth
 overall pick this year and will have to send next year';s first-round pick to
the Colorado Avalanche unless a deal is struck.

Duchene needs to perform well so the Senators can deal him and get future
assets in return, which would ideally include a first-round pick. There are
rumors that the New York Islanders are interested in him. Trading him means
Ottawa can wash their hands of this deal and move past their mistake.

Other Options: Craig Anderson and Erik KarlssonTampa Bay LightningAndrei
Vasilevskiy

Russian goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy had an excellent season in his first as a
 starter. In 65 games, he led the league with 44 wins and eight shutouts, and
had a .931 five-on-five save percentage (SV%), 2.62 goals-against average
(GAA), and 15.12 goals saved above average (GSAA). His season concluded with a
third-place Vezina Trophy finish. But for as strong as his regular season
numbers were, he struggled down the stretch and in the postseason.Andrei
Vasilevskiy was a Vezina Trophy finalist in his first season as a starting
goaltender but was inconsistent and struggled toward season';s end. The Tampa
Bay Lightning need more consistency from him for them to win a Stanley Cup in
2019. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

He allowed at least four goals in four of his final 10 regular season games and
 had a sub-.900 SV% in six of them. Of his 17 playoff games, he had four with a
 sub-900 SV% and allowed at least four goals in three of them. However, as a
24-year-old whose previous career high was 50 games, his regression was likely
the result of tiring out.

The Lightning arguably have the most talented roster in the league and are
going all-in on winning a Stanley Cup this season. They have enough depth to
overcome the loss of a skater for even an extended period of time, but
couldn';t overcome an injury to Vasilevskiy.

Consistent production from players like Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and
Victor Hedman is expected but Vasilevskiy is a bit of a wild card. He went
through a stretch last season in which he allowed one goal or less in six
straight games and then followed it up by allowing four or more in five
straight. The Lightning need more consistency than that from him to win a Cup.

Other Options: Victor Hedman and Brayden PointToronto Maple LeafsNikita
Zaitsev

Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev missed 22 games in 2017-18, including 17 to a foot
injury in December and January, and five in March with an illness. Those events
 naturally kept his counting stats in check but many of his rate stats
regressed as well, including points and shots-per-game, and five-on-five points
 and shots per-60.Year two for Nikita Zaitsev was not as good as his rookie
season, mainly due to an injury and illness. But considering he is one of two
right shot defensemen on Toronto';s roster, he needs to return to the
production he brought in his rookie season for the team to win a round in the
postseason. (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)

He also hindered Jake Gardiner';s impact, whose shots-for percentage at
five-on-five dropped 6.4 points when paired with Zaitsev. Zaitsev played
slightly better in the postseason but was on the ice for one-third of the
five-on-five goals allowed by the Maple Leafs.

Toronto needs Zaitsev to be better in 2018-19. He is in year two of a
seven-year deal that carries a $4.5 million cap hit and is one of two right
shot defensemen on the team. After signing of Tavares, the Leafs were unable
to address their imbalanced blue line, making a bounce-back season from
Zaitsev all the more vital.

Other Options: John Tavares and Frederik Andersen

*All stats came from Hockey-Reference, Natural Stat Trick, HockeyViz, KHL.RU,
and Elite Prospects.

The post Atlantic Division 'X Factor'; Players for Each Team appeared first on
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