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On September 17, the eight-team World Cup of Hockey tournament will begin in Toronto, concluding less than two weeks prior to the start of the 2016-17 NHL regular season. The star-studded rosters — including the 23-or-younger Team North America — will vie for the tournament championship in this unique event.

We took a look at each team’s x-factor if they wish to win it all.

Team Canada – Carey Price

The last professional hockey game Carey Price took part in was in late November 2015. That’s more than nine months without dressing in a single game against NHL competition, and with long hiatuses, getting back up to speed is often a monumental task.

The Montreal Canadiens’ starting goaltender key to success will be going through his feeling-out process during the WCOH, and if he cannot get back to his normal self right away (which is likely), the Canadians will be at huge deficit at the tournament. While Canada’s defense is arguably better than the other seven teams’ cores, Price is a wall compared to his two understudies — Brayden Holtby and Corey Crawford.

While Holtby is more than capable of being the starter, if something were to happen to him that would prevent him from playing, it may shake the team’s confidence. Their third option, Crawford, is one of the most inconsistent starters in the NHL.

This specific scenario is a bit far-fetched, but regardless, Canada has some big question-marks in net.

Team Europe – Roman Josi

With Shea Weber (and soon-to-be P.K. Subban) leading the way on the back end in Nashville for the entirety of his career, the superbly-talented Roman Josi has rarely been tasked with assuming the role of No. 1 defenseman on a professional-caliber hockey team. Finally, though, the 26-year-old will get his chance on a European team whose only other truly reliable defender is Andrej Sekera.

Josi will be counted on as a leader for his team both on the ice and in the locker room, and how he responds to his new responsibilities will make or break the European team. The star-studded offense needs some defensive coverage in the absence of a reliable goaltender tandem, so whether Josi can make his partner — whether it be Christian Ehrhoff, Luca Sbisa, or Dennis Seidenberg — better will likely shape Europe’s chances of emerging victorious.

Team North America – Brandon Saad

Although brand new to international hockey competition, Team North America looks to make waves at the WCOH. With guys like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Aaron Ekblad, Auston Matthews and many, many more 23-and-under stars on the roster, the squad basically consists of young guys who either soon will, or do already, lead their NHL teams because they are so talented and have incredible leadership skills.

There is no doubt that the aforementioned hockey players will make a huge impact at the WCOH, but one player in question is Brandon Saad.

The Columbus Blue Jackets star is known for his high scoring, but despite netting 31 goals last season, some have suggested that he has yet to reach his full potential or that he didn’t quite meet expectations in 2015-16. One has to assume that he will be on a mission to prove himself at this tournament; the oldest player on the team, there is a lot of expectation surrounding Saad to be ‘the guy’ who will lead the youngsters against several men who are as much as twice their age.

Team United States – T.J. Oshie

Like Saad, T.J. Oshie didn’t quite provide the Washington Capitals with what they had expected from him in the 2015-16 season. He did, however, play with the same gritty, two-way style that he has had a reputation for since he began with the St. Louis Blues in 2008.

He had a career year this past season as far as goals are concerned (he set a new personal record with 26), but he had a down year scoring-wise overall. The postseason was much different, though, as Oshie exploded for six goals and four assists (10 points, total) in 12 games, and he was a much better force on both ends of the ice.

With a near-logjam of high-octane offensive depth on the roster, Oshie is a refreshing reminder that every team needs a two-way, defensive forward to balance it all out. Hopefully for the U.S., the man who wears the red, white and blue on a regular basis will be the blue-collar factor they need in order to succeed.

X-factors for World Cup of Hockey teams: Part 2