COLUMBUS -- Knowing what's wrong and fixing the problems are two different stories for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

They have gotten off to miserable starts the past four seasons, a significant factor in them qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs once (2014) during the span.

How the Blue Jackets will fare early this season is one of three major questions they face:

COLUMBUS -- The prospects cupboard is far from bare for the Columbus Blue Jackets thanks in part to six first-round picks in the past three NHL drafts.

The abundance of young talent enabled the Blue Jackets to make a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire forward Brandon Saad on June 30. Rookie forward Marko Dano (No. 27, 2013 NHL Draft) was sent to the Blackhawks along with three other players for the two-time Stanley Cup winner.

The Blue Jackets still have a wealth of prospects at forward but aren't as deep on the defensive side.

That's why they took defensemen Zachary Werenski (No. 8) and Gabriel Carlsson (No. 29) in the first round this year.

Goaltender Anton Forsberg (No. 188, 2011) was an American Hockey League all-star last season but struggled (0-4-0, 4.69 goals-against average) for the Blue Jackets when injuries struck goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Curtis McElhinney.

With McElhinney under contract for two more years, Forsberg will be given time to develop.

Here are the Blue Jackets' 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.

It's a rare occurrence when the Philadelphia Flyers don't qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but that was the case last season. A slow start doomed Philadelphia, which won 33 games and finished 12th in the Eastern Conference.

"I think the whole point of hockey is making playoffs. That's the best time of the year," captain Claude Giroux told the Flyers website. "When you can't be a part of it, obviously [there's] a lot of disappointment and frustration. We're going to learn the hard way, but it's going to help us for the future."

The Philadelphia Flyers are experienced on defense, with three of their six regulars 28 or older. But an influx of young, talented defensemen is on the way.

Led by Ivan Provorov, the Flyers are about to get younger and quicker on defense within the next two years. Provorov, drafted with the No. 7 pick of the 2015 NHL Draft, hopes it won't even take that long.

"I'm taking it one day at a time, but my long-term goal is to make the team," Provorov said during development camp last month. "I'm going to try to do everything that I can, and we'll see what's going to happen in September."

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

A slow start last season ultimately led to the Philadelphia Flyers missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Philadelphia finished 12th in the Eastern Conference, 14 points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card from the Eastern Conference.

The Flyers will have a different coach this season; Dave Hakstol was hired on May 18 to replace Craig Berube. Hakstol spent his entire coaching career at the collegiate level, experiencing plenty of success over the past 11 seasons at the University of North Dakota. He now has the task of getting the Flyers to play more consistently, something Berube was unable to accomplish last season.

Here are three questions facing the Flyers this season:

The Philadelphia Flyers are hoping to erase the memories of last season, when they won 33 games and failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in the past three seasons.

They enter this season with a new coach and the hope that their talented group of forwards, along with goaltender Steve Mason, can get them back in contention.

Here are four reasons for optimism in Philadelphia:

New Jersey Devils coach John Hynes knows how difficult it is for young players to realize their dream of playing in the NHL.

Hynes spent the past five seasons mentoring many talented prospects as coach of Wilkes Barre/Scranton, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"It's more mental than physical for these young players hoping to get their shot and remain in the NHL," Hynes said. "It's about focus at practice or meetings and understanding that the rhythm of the season can catch up with you. Sure, these kids may have the speed, the talent and the ability, but the mental component of being able to do it consistently every day is what separates those who are ready and those who are not.

"With high-end prospects, the player will usually tell you just by watching him if he's ready or not."

Hynes is hoping to uncover a few of those players at training camp.

Here are the top five prospects in the Devils system, according to NHL.com:

Ray Shero has done his best to make certain the New Jersey Devils are equipped with the tools necessary to prosper this season since becoming their general manager on May 4.

His first order of business was naming John Hynes as coach, which he did on June 2.

"I understand how the players feel with all the changes they're going through," Hynes said. "It's personal yet important to know as a coach where each guy is at individually, and we've been doing quite of bit of video work on systems and styles of play, line combinations and understanding our players."

Shero has promised to create a much younger, faster team. He has signed or re-signed several young players to challenge for roster spots in training camp, and approved the selection of forward Pavel Zacha with the No. 6 choice in the 2015 NHL Draft.

He is one of three key questions facing the Devils:

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

The New Jersey Devils made some alterations on and off the ice after failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs a third straight season.

Among those moves, there was none bigger than Ray Shero replacing Hockey Hall of Fame member Lou Lamoriello as general manager on May 4.

Lamoriello stayed on as president but resigned July 23 to become GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, a move that took many by surprise. Lamoriello, who was Devils president and GM since 1987, won the Stanley Cup three times in those 28 years (1995, 2000, 2003).

In June, Shero introduced John Hynes as the fourth Devils coach in five years. Lamoriello and assistants Scott Stevens and Adam Oates served as co-coaches after Peter DeBoer was fired in December 2014.

Hynes was coach of the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League the past five seasons. His team reached the conference finals twice and the conference semifinals twice. The 40-year-old is the youngest coach in the NHL.

New Jersey Devils co-owner Joshua Harris was straightforward when discussing the decision to hire Ray Shero to replace Lou Lamoriello as general manager.

"We bought the team [in August 2013] with the intention of winning, and obviously, the last two seasons have been disappointing to us," Harris said in early May. "We want to build an elite organization, and what that means is we're consistently in the mix and deep in the playoffs for a Stanley Cup.

"We're going to really put in place plans that allow us to do that. Every decision will be made around that philosophy."

Harris couldn't have envisioned that Lamoriello, who resigned as Devils president July 23 to become general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, wouldn't be around to help put those plans in place.

Before Lamoriello took the Toronto job after nearly three decades with New Jersey, it was clear Shero was calling the shots.

He hired John Hynes as coach June 2. Hynes coached the Pittsburgh Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton when Shero was Penguins GM.

On July 9, Shero announced David Conte would not return as Devils scouting director. Conte was a scout for New Jersey for 31 years.

Shero is hopeful the moves have created optimism about the future of the Devils. Here are four others: