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

Optimism was high after a 28-9-3 finish helped the Minnesota Wild climb from 12th in the Western Conference to the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They found a No. 1 goalie in Devan Dubnyk. They defeated the St. Louis Blues, the Central Division champions, in the Western Conference First Round and were poised to finally knock off the Chicago Blackhawks.

But the Wild were unable to turn their second-half run into their first trip to the Western Conference Final since 2003. Minnesota was eliminated by Chicago for the third straight postseason, this time in a four-game sweep.

The Minnesota Wild are returning virtually the same group that raced from an under-.500 team on Jan. 13 to the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference and a six-game win against the Central Division champion St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference First Round.

The Wild, whose postseason ended with a four-game sweep in the second round against the Chicago Blackhawks, are likely to contend again in the competitive Central, but what's unknown is if standing pat will result in them improving.

Here are three questions facing the Wild this season:

With the signing of defenseman Mike Reilly, the Minnesota Wild added to a prospect pool set up for present and future gains. Reilly, an unrestricted free agent whose draft rights with the Columbus Blue Jackets expired June 15, has a legitimate chance to earn an NHL roster spot and add to Minnesota's deep defense this season.

"The next step is to get to training camp and come in great shape and be ready to play against men," Reilly told the Wild website. "I'm looking forward to that challenge. It's going to be a lot of learning curves of ups and downs and mistakes, but I'm ready to embrace it and learn quickly to hopefully adapt to the pro level."

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

Much was expected from the Minnesota Wild after they revived their season. A six-game losing streak left them at 18-19-5 on Jan. 13 and outside of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They responded by finishing 28-9-3 and eliminating the Central Division champion St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference First Round.

Those high expectations crashed when they were swept out of the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. The Wild did not make any significant changes to the roster but are confident the answers to improving lie within.

Here are four reasons for optimism in Minnesota:

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

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings have a new coach and two new players, but center Pavel Datsyuk's status for early 2015-16 is uncertain.

After the Red Wings were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, losing their Eastern Conference First Round series to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games, Mike Babcock, who was Detroit's coach for 10 seasons and has more wins than any coach in Red Wings history, left for the Toronto Maple Leafs and was replaced by Jeff Blashill.

Blashill was the favorite off the bat in Detroit, having coached its American Hockey League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, for the past three seasons.

The 41-year-old is the second youngest coach in the NHL (John Hynes of the New Jersey Devils is 40). Blashill coached Grand Rapids to the Calder Cup in 2013, was AHL coach of the year in 2014, and guided the Griffins to the Western Conference Final last season.

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings' success during the past two decades has given them the luxury of allowing their prospects to develop in the American Hockey League.

For the most part, that remains true going into this season.

The only exception is their top prospect, center Dylan Larkin, who has played six games in the AHL (all in the Calder Cup Western Conference Finals last season) after spending one season in college but showed he may be ready to make the jump to the NHL.

Detroit is deep in versatile forwards and mobile defensemen, but a little light in goal and in forwards with size.

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

DETROIT -- No matter what challenges the Detroit Red Wings have faced in the past quarter century, there has been one constant: making the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Detroit reached the playoffs for the 24th consecutive season in 2014-15, but was eliminated in seven games in the Eastern Conference First Round by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Mike Babcock was Red Wings coach for the past 10 seasons but left for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jeff Blashill, who coached the Red Wings' American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids the past three seasons, was hired to replace him.

Detroit's roster remains largely intact, although they signed defenseman Mike Green and center Brad Richards as free agents.

They are among four reasons the Red Wings should be optimistic:

DETROIT -- After 10 playoff appearances in as many seasons as Detroit Red Wings coach, Mike Babcock left for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his place, the Red Wings hired Jeff Blashill, who coached their American Hockey League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, for the past three seasons.

How Blashill fares in his first NHL season is one of three questions facing the Red Wings as they try to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a 25th consecutive season:

OTTAWA -- Young forwards Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Curtis Lazar, and defensemen Cody Ceci and Mark Borowiecki were significant parts of the Ottawa Senators' success last season, which ended in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Despite having a large number of players graduate to the NHL, the Senators have a good core of prospects thanks to recent trades and some strong drafting.

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

OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season after going 21-3-3 in their final 27 games.

The key elements of the Senators' playoff run are back after they made few moves during the offseason.

Here are four reasons for the Senators to be optimistic: