NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September.

As a teenager Kevin Bieksa had to step back and evaluate his place in hockey.

While playing minor hockey Bieksa was offered a roster spot with the first-year Mississauga (now Niagara) Ice Dogs, the Ontario Hockey League team that selected him in the 19th round of the 1998 OHL draft. A native of Grimsby, Ontario, Bieksa was tempted by, as he put it, the "glitz and glam" of immediately playing in the OHL.

Also on the table was a chance to pursue a full scholarship to Bowling Green State University. While the dream of playing in the NHL was very much alive, so was the desire to have a fallback plan.

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September.

New Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning politely shook his head when talk of a rebuild was raised by a fan during one of the many town hall-style meetings hosted by the team this summer.

Instead, after an offseason that included signing a big-name No. 1 goalie in Ryan Miller, Benning and new president of hockey operations Trevor Linden publicly targeted a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September.

VANCOUVER -- A lot has changed since the Vancouver Canucks were last together as a team.

Since packing up the locker room in April after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in six seasons, the Canucks have a new general manager, coach and system, and half a dozen new players. As the team gathered to start training camp this week there was also a new sense of optimism, at least within the organization.

Management has talked openly about again competing for a playoff spot despite outside projections and predictions of a continued decline for their aging core.

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September.

New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo created an identity during his breakout season of 2013-14.

For him to do that, the No. 7 pick of the 2006 NHL Draft first needed a shot of confidence after a disappointing 48-game 2012-13 season when he scored four goals and 24 points.

Halfway through that season, Okposo connected with Darryl Belfry, a skills coach who has worked with Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane and Islanders teammate John Tavares, and found something down the stretch. After scoring 14 points in the season's first three months, Okposo finished with a goal and nine assists in 13 games, including points in four straight. In a six-game loss to the Penguins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Okposo was among team leaders with three goals and four points.

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September.

Mark Giordano's expectations for the Calgary Flames this season are simple. In fact, they're the same as the 29 other NHL teams.

"We want to make the [Stanley Cup] Playoffs," Giordano said. "Winning is everything in this League. We want to get into the playoffs and we want to go from there. With the parity in the League, if you get in … the goal is to get in. From there you can make some noise."

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September.

The Edmonton Oilers have not been to the Stanley Cup Playoffs since losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.

The organization bottomed out in 2010 as the Oilers finished 30th in the League standings for the first time in franchise history. Rebuilding began with the selection of Taylor Hall with the first pick of the 2010 NHL Draft.

Despite having the No. 1 picks of the 2011 and 2012 drafts, the Oilers have not come much closer to snapping what now is an eight-year playoff drought.

Not wanting to break up his young core, Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish tried to augment his roster by bringing in veterans who he hopes will provide size and secondary scoring while his young stars mature.

In order for the Oilers to challenge for the playoffs, they’ll need things to come together quickly to keep from falling behind early in the season.

Here are three things that need to happen in order for the Oilers to have a successful season:

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September.

Simply competing isn't going to be enough for the Calgary Flames in 2014-15.

Though the Flames continue their rebuilding project, coach Bob Hartley is demanding more.

"Progress is a big word right now in our vocabulary," said Hartley, who guided the Flames to a 35-40-7 record last season, good for 27th in the League standings. "We really want to make the next step, but at the same time I want this to be a giant step. I really believe that despite the fact that we're going to read everywhere that we're going to be ranked anywhere between 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th in the League by all the experts, I really believe that we can be a [Stanley Cup] Playoff team."

The Flames haven't skated beyond the regular season since 2009. Plenty will need to go Calgary's way in order to reach Hartley’s goal:

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September.

With a 5-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on the final day of the 2013-14 regular season, the first phase in the rebuilding process of the Calgary Flames came to a close.

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September.

The Edmonton Oilers underwent a number of changes this offseason looking to bridge the gap toward a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

What did not change may make the biggest impact in the quest to snap an eight-year postseason drought.

For only the second time since 2008, the Oilers are going into a season with the same coach. They hope having Dallas Eakins back behind the bench is a key to their success.

"We talked about it a lot last year. It's definitely something that is tough to do, just start from scratch and have success," Oilers captain Andrew Ference said. "It can be done, but if you look at the teams that are competing year in and year out, there is definitely a consistency to their lineup, which includes the coaching staff, the attitude and style of play."

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September.

Florida Panthers center Nick Bjugstad is anxious to begin a new season with a new coach and several new faces sprinkled throughout the lineup ready to make their mark.

"It sounds like everyone is hungry; it's not fun to lose, especially in the top League in the world," Bjugstad said. "You want to do better and I think guys are really committed to that this year. Hopefully we can turn it around and start with a clean slate and not worry about the last couple of years."

The Panthers are looking for improvement in 2014-15 after back-to-back disappointing seasons: a 30th-place finish in the League standings in 2012-13 and a 29th-place finish last season.

"I think bringing in Gerard [Gallant] as head coach and his staff, coupled with the dynamic of what our roster looks like right now and what's coming through the pipeline, will be a springboard moving forward," Panthers director of amateur scouting Scott Luce said. "I think we're going to be a significantly improved team this year but it will be tough to make the playoffs.

"I think if we can find a way to make the playoffs, it will mark the final push for us to be a consistent playoff team for the next 10 years, barring injuries or bad luck."