X-Factor

[Sensinitis]

Who do you guys think is our X-factor next season? The player that, if he pans out, can really make a difference out there and change the dynamic of the team.

My choice is Patrick Wiercioch.

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[Vesa Awesaka]

Milan Michalek. He's playing for money.

 

[Super Cake]

I wonder which player nhl.com will choose as our x-factor on august 20th.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

I think the x-factor for the sens is health

 

[derriko]

I'm going under the radar here with this one, but I think MacArthur is going to be somewhere in between his 40 and 60 point form.

I think a 20/30 season would be huge for our secondary scoring.

If Turris could continue his growth and be a 55ish point player, along with whoever slots into that RW slot, that's a very solid second line.

While our first line is drawing all the opponents top shutdown lines, that 2nd line gets the lesser guys lining up against them.

Maybe if Stone makes the show, or Greening transitions to the other wing, that would complete the line with having a big guy to dig out pucks for the other two.

 

[Sun God Nika]

Kyle Turris, hes going to score 70+ points next season, mark my words!

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Jared Cowen. If he stabilizes the 2nd pairing and can play big minutes, we'll have an extremely deep team with no real weaknesses, capable of top 10 performances in every major team category (GAA, GF, PK, PP, 5 on 5, sv%).

 

[WhiteLight*]

Wiercioch and Cowen will need to step up and play like top 4 guys. So them

 

[McManked]

Kyle Turris, hes going to score 70+ points next season, mark my words!

You realize that would put him in the top 10 or so C's in the league.

 

[The Fuhr*]

Kyle Turris, hes going to score 70+ points next season, mark my words!

Won't get the PP time

 

[Fandlauer]

This guy. Can't wait till he burns the leafs.

 

[WhiteLight*]

Won't get the PP time

He'll get PP time with Wiercioch... Wiercioch is a machine on the PP, he'll make that 2nd unit produce

 

[The Fuhr*]

He'll get PP time with Wiercioch... Wiercioch is a machine on the PP, he'll make that 2nd unit produce

Say he gets 40ES points... Would need 30 from the second unit... That's crazy

 

[WhiteLight*]

Say he gets 40ES points... Would need 30 from the second unit... That's crazy

Well maybe he'll get more than 40 at ES

 

[The Fuhr*]

Well maybe he'll get more than 40 at ES

26 in 48 last year... I'm not going to hope for more... Only had 3PP points last season, so he was not much of a threat up a man.

I think 50 points is more in line with what Turris will get

 

[WhiteLight*]

I think he'll get 50-55 if Spezza is healthy. Actually I think he'll get the same even if Spezza isn't

 

[Countdown0]

26 in 48 last year... I'm not going to hope for more... Only had 3PP points last season, so he was not much of a threat up a man.

I think 50 points is more in line with what Turris will get

If he gets 50 points with MacArthur and... Greening? Condra? Zibanejad (please, pick Zibanejad)? Conacher? On his wing, I'd say he had a damn good season.

50 points from your 2nd line centre is nothing to sneeze at. Especially if at least one other guy on that line produces 40+ points too.

I've deliberately excluded the possibility of Michalek or Ryan playing on the 2nd line, because I doubt they will. THAT SAID ===> IF someone on the team can outplay Michalek, like, say, Zibanejad, and take that top line spot from him, I wont complain.

Michalek on a line with Turris could definitely work out.

As to our X-Factor. I would say that Cowen isn't it. We know what we are getting form him. He's big, mean, hard hitting, blocks shots, fights, plays some great D, and is underrated offensively.

I think the X-Factor will be whatever chemistry develops between Spezza and Ryan. If they gel, then everyone in your conference had better look out. If not, then we'll have to try something else.

 

[danishh]

colin greening... he's looking at stupid clarkson-like money if he has a good season.

 

[Larionov]

colin greening... he's looking at stupid clarkson-like money if he has a good season.

Yes, especially with the cap going back up to $70 million in 2014-15. The big budget teams will have cash to spend on "nice to have" players like Greening...

 

[TheSenator]

colin greening... he's looking at stupid clarkson-like money if he has a good season.

With the depth we're icing this year I doubt Greening will get the opportunity to do anything eye-opening.

I'd be pretty surprised if he put up the numbers he did in 11/12.

 

[The Fuhr*]

With the depth we're icing this year I doubt Greening will get the opportunity to do anything eye-opening.

I'd be pretty surprised if he put up the numbers he did in 11/12.

There is a LW spot open with Spezza and Ryan.

I could easily see Greening playing on that line at ES

 

[Jonathan81]

Erik Karlsson, he will play a full 82 games with the same tremendous skills he displayed last season. With Spezza/Ryan, Turris/Michalek, and Ziban/Conacher, playing 30min/game he could very well beat is pts record and improve even more defensively.

 

[Sensinitis]

26 in 48 last year... I'm not going to hope for more... Only had 3PP points last season, so he was not much of a threat up a man.

I think 50 points is more in line with what Turris will get

IIRC two of those were GWG

 

[HavlatMach9]

Erik Karlsson, he will play a full 82 games with the same tremendous skills he displayed last season. With Spezza/Ryan, Turris/Michalek, and Ziban/Conacher, playing 30min/game he could very well beat is pts record and improve even more defensively.

Hopefully Karlsson does that, but he's not an x-factor anymore since those are the standards he's made for himself. I'll go with Greening or Turris

 

[StefanW]

Lehner. If Andy is not right back where he was last year pre-injury Lehner is chomping at the bit to take the starting job away.

My second X Factor is Mac. The man knows how to run a team.