NHL.com continues its preview of the 2015-16 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout August.

COLORADO -- Changes were inevitable when the Colorado Avalanche missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, the fourth time in the past five seasons they failed to qualify.

They went from first place in the Central Division in 2013-14 to last with a 39-31-12 record and 90 points, seven short of the playoffs. Patrick Roy coached them to 112 points his first season to win the Jack Adams Award.

"I'm here to win the Stanley Cup," Roy said. "I'm not in Denver to see us missing the playoffs, I'm here to see us winning. I really want to make sure that's the last time we're missing the playoffs. It makes you very humble. First time I missed the playoffs as a coach in junior and the NHL."

COLORADO -- The Colorado Avalanche learned last season that a successful start is just as important as a good stretch drive. They finished strong but ended last in the Central Division and 11th in the Western Conference with 90 points, seven points out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Avalanche are determined to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"Sometimes the reality is you have to go through it," coach Patrick Roy said. "I truly believe our team will be much better because of it. I'm sure everybody is going to take a deep look at what we did and come in with a totally different mindset."

Here are four reasons the Avalanche should be optimistic:

COLORADO -- The Colorado Avalanche are committed to building through the NHL Draft, using free agents to fill in the gaps while waiting for their prospects to mature.

"This is where we're going to have to focus," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "If we feel that we need to have a free agent to give time to our young guys to develop, we will do that. But we truly believe that the draft will be the key in our success."

The Avalanche have been stockpiling promising defensemen in the system, but right wing Mikko Rantanen, goalie Calvin Pickard and center Joey Hishon have the best chance of playing in the NHL this season.

Here is a look at the Avalanche's top five prospects, according to NHL.com:

COLORADO -- The Colorado Avalanche will need to tighten their defensive play for a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after falling short last season. Overworked goalies Semyon Varlamov, Reto Berra and Calvin Pickard faced 40 or more shots on goal a combined 16 times, and they permitted four or more non-shootout goals 21 times.

The Avalanche also need to regain their swagger on offense. Their goal production fell from 250 to 219, the power play skidded from the fifth-best percentage in the NHL to 29th, and they were shut out eight times.

Game management and puck possession were other troublesome areas.

Here are three questions facing the Avalanche this season:

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2015-16 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout August.

SAN JOSE -- Following a historic collapse against the Los Angeles Kings in the 2014 Western Conference First Round, the San Jose Sharks missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs entirely last season for the first time since 2003.

Changes were inevitable after San Jose's dismal showing, and the biggest one came first.

Todd McLellan, the winningest coach in San Jose history, parted ways with the Sharks after seven seasons in what he and general manager Doug Wilson called a mutual decision. Wilson hired former Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils coach Peter DeBoer to replace McLellan, who became coach of the Edmonton Oilers.

SAN JOSE -- The San Jose Sharks' streak of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs ended at 10 seasons in 2014-15, but they expect to be back in the postseason under new coach Peter DeBoer.

The Sharks have been in transition the past two seasons, adding young talent to an established core of veterans.

Here are four reasons for the Sharks to be optimistic:

SAN JOSE -- After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2003 and replacing longtime coach Todd McLellan with Peter DeBoer, the San Jose Sharks face plenty of uncertainty approaching the 2015-16 season.

The Sharks are coming off a season that was filled with dysfunction on and off the ice, and they hope to make a quick turnaround.

Here are three questions facing the Sharks this season:

SAN JOSE -- The San Jose Sharks have been stockpiling draft picks the past few years while trading older veterans such as Douglas Murray, Brad Stuart, Ryane Clowe and Michal Handzus.

General manager Doug Wilson has held on to his high picks and used them to add three first-round and four second-round choices over the past three drafts.

Here's a look at the Sharks' top five prospects, according to NHL.com:

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2015-16 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout August.

COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Blue Jackets set out this offseason to improve a defense that, along with an inordinate amount of injuries, derailed their chances of making a return trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Now about six weeks from the start of training camp, nothing has changed among the defense, which ranked 25th in goals allowed (3.02 per game) last season.

"I'm not concerned at all if we have to start the season with this group," general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said.

COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Blue Jackets are hopeful their strong finish to the 2014-15 season will translate into a Stanley Cup Playoff berth this season.

The Blue Jackets finished nine points back of the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference after their season-ending, 13-game point streak (12-0-1), but it left them eager to get back on the ice in October.

Here are four reasons the Blue Jackets are optimistic: