NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers were three wins shy of winning the Stanley Cup in 2014 and one win from going back to the Stanley Cup Final last season. Though that may look like regression, the fact is the Rangers remain one of the elite teams in the NHL and a championship contender.

Here are four reasons the Rangers should be optimistic about their chances:

NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers should be capable of competing for the Presidents' Trophy again this season after they won it last season with 53 wins and 113 points. But that doesn't mean they don't have their share of questions.

Here are three of the big ones for the Rangers:

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

ANAHEIM -- The progression of the Anaheim Ducks the past three seasons has been impressive. They've advanced deeper into the Stanley Cup Playoffs every year since 2013, a run most teams would love to have.

However, each of those seasons has ended with a Game 7 loss at home, the latest to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 Western Conference Final.

"When you go through those things, the only way to gain [experience] is to go through it," Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. "Hopefully our guys learned some lessons again this year. I learned some things. We can get ready for the next season and approach next year with the same attitude we had at the start of this one, on a mission to get back to have that opportunity again."

ANAHEIM -- The Anaheim Ducks have done a good job developing prospects during the past few years. This year's prospects will literally be closer to the NHL because Anaheim moved its American Hockey League affiliate from Norfolk, Va., to San Diego.

The Ducks are well-stocked at center; their most immediate needs are on the wings and defense. Anaheim isn't shy about recalling prospects, so most of their NHL-ready players stand a good chance at playing with the Ducks at some point this season.

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

ANAHEIM -- Western Conference First Round … Second Round … Conference Final. The Anaheim Ducks have gotten closer to their goal in each of the past three seasons.

Though they've also failed dramatically each year in their attempt to reach the Stanley Cup Final, the Ducks remain one of the conference's top contenders. They've won the Pacific Division three seasons in a row and have at least 50 wins in each of the past two, when they finished with 116 and 109 points.

The Ducks hope a couple of new faces combined with a solid foundation will get them over the final hurdle this season.

Here are four reasons for the Ducks to be optimistic:

ANAHEIM -- The Anaheim Ducks seem primed for another deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but there are areas of concern for the Western Conference regular-season champions.

Some are a recurring theme; another is a product of offseason reshuffling.

Here are three questions facing the Ducks:

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens' prospect pool has decent depth but lacks top-end talent.

The main reason is the Canadiens have not picked earlier than 25th in each of the past three NHL Drafts, and they did not have a second-round pick in either of the past two.

As a result, the Canadiens lack an elite prospect, but they have several players who have the potential to become solid NHL contributors.

They were lacking in quality defensemen, and that's why the Canadiens used the No. 26 pick at the 2015 NHL Draft on Noah Juulsen of Everett of the Western Hockey League. He was the first defenseman Montreal selected in the first round since Nathan Beaulieu was picked 17th in 2011.

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

MONTREAL -- Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien likes to talk about his young veterans, the core players they are built around.

Any optimism surrounding the Canadiens begins with that group.

"Our young leaders have gained a lot of experience thanks to playing in big games, playoff games, and having a certain degree of success in the playoffs," Therrien said. "I think those young leaders have progressed over the past three years, and that's encouraging."

Here are four reasons for the Canadiens to be optimistic:

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens enter this season with certainty in goal. Everything else is up for debate.

Goaltender Carey Price's excellent play last season (44-16-6, 1.96 goals-against average, .933 save percentage) covered up many of the Canadiens' issues. If Price, who won the Hart and Vezina trophies, is unable to produce a similarly historic season, those deficiencies will become serious problems unless they are corrected.

Here are three questions facing the Canadiens:

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

MONTREAL -- When Marc Bergevin was hired as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens on May 2, 2012, he admitted he didn't know much about their makeup, other than that they were set in goal with Carey Price.

Now, more than three years later, Bergevin has put his stamp on the Canadiens, with more than half of the expected 2015-16 opening-night roster arriving under his watch.

However, it could be argued that what Bergevin said remains true today: The goaltending of Price is the foundation of the Canadiens' success and the value of the pieces around him remains largely unknown.

The Canadiens are considered a defensive-minded team, but they allowed the 10th most shots on goal in the NHL last season.

The pieces for a top power play are in place with defensemen P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov and forward Max Pacioretty, but the Canadiens power play has finished in the bottom half of the League in each of the past two seasons.