NBC broadcaster Mike "Doc" Emrick admitted it's going to be odd not seeing goaltender Martin Brodeur in a New Jersey Devils jersey for the first time in 23 seasons.

"It will seem strange, but there's always that handoff," Emrick said. "The same question was raised when Steve Yzerman wouldn't be in Detroit anymore. Who takes over? As it turns out, it was Nicklas Lidstrom, not only as captain but as the face of the franchise.

"So that will be the intriguing thing; who will be the new face in New Jersey?"

A new NHL season begins in seven days and inquiring minds would like to know whether or not the Los Angeles Kings have what it takes to become the first team in almost two decades to deliver back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.

The question was posed to NBC Sports Group's lead NHL broadcast team of veteran play-by-play man Mike "Doc" Emrick, analyst Eddie Olczyk and "Inside the Glass" analyst Pierre McGuire during a conference call Wednesday previewing the 2014-15 season.

"The Kings won't win because the numbers say we haven't had a repeat winner in a long time," Olczyk said. "You need a lot of things to go right and have some luck, and look at the hole they dug themselves out of last year."

The NHL routinely saw teams win championships in clusters until the 1990s, but dynasties have all but disappeared during the past two decades. Nine teams have won the Stanley Cup in the past 11 seasons, and no franchise has successfully defended the Cup since the Detroit Red Wings won back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998.

According to EA Sports, that trend will come to an end this season.

In its annual NHL season simulation released Wednesday, EA Sports predicts the defending-champion Los Angeles Kings will defeat the Boston Bruins in six games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final for their second straight championship and third in the past four seasons, giving the NHL its first bona fide dynasty in more than a decade. The Conn Smythe Trophy will go to Kings forward Anze Kopitar, who is also predicted to win the Selke Trophy for his regular-season play in the simulation.

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which begins Wednesday, Oct. 8.

Summer may be the most enjoyable season for many people, but when it comes to NHL teams, they want to put off the start to their summers as long as possible.

But for the eight Eastern Conference teams that missed out on the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoff party, their goal since the second week of April has been figuring out how to extend their seasons into May -- or even June, like the conference champion New York Rangers.

So how can the teams that missed the fun turn into postseason hits? As opening night of the regular season nears, NHL.com today examines why fans of the unlucky eight can hold onto their playoff hopes:

TORONTO -- As the story of his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs rapidly unfolded like a tragicomedy, right wing David Clarkson could have started asking a lot of questions that begin with why.

As in why did I sign to play in Toronto, one of the most demanding markets in the NHL? Or the reflective why can't it be like it was with the New Jersey Devils, where my role was defined, the results were positive, and mistakes, slumps and errors in judgment never burn a player publicly the way they do here?

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which begins Wednesday, Oct. 8.

It's almost time for another NHL season, and the pressure is already starting to build for some players who know they'll have to be big-time producers for their teams to push for a Stanley Cup Playoff berth or contend for the Stanley Cup.

Here's a look at a player from each of the 16 teams in the Eastern Conference who'll be under pressure to perform as soon as the puck drops:

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which begins Wednesday, Oct. 8.

The calendar has turned to October, and that means NHL teams already are brainstorming to figure out what they'll have to do to be successful when the regular season starts next week.

As they get ready for 2014-15, all 30 teams have questions. Will that big rookie make an impact right away? Will the free-agent signee fill the hole he was brought in to plug? Will the offense/defense/goaltending/special teams improve?

With that in mind, here's a look at a key question facing the 16 teams in the Eastern Conference:

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

Entering his 11th NHL season, Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron has had dozens of linemates. He's worked well with some, better with others. One thing he's learned is that line chemistry is as easy to predict as the lottery.

But when the right numbers come up, the jackpot can be big.

The Bruins hit the lottery last season when the line of Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Reilly Smith combined for 75 goals and 91 assists, had the Corsi-for percentage of any line that played at least 300 minutes together at even strength according to Progressivehockey.com, and helped Boston win the Presidents' Trophy. Bergeron had his second 30-goal season and was second on the Bruins with 62 points; Marchand's 25 goals were the second-most he's had in a season; and Smith, in his first full NHL season, had 20 goals and 51 points.

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

The question came from a perturbed fan in the stands at TD Garden for the Boston Bruins' annual State of the Bruins town hall meeting just before the start of training camp.

The fan alluded to the notion the Boston Celtics only hang banners for their world championships because that's their only goal, but the Bruins have banners commemorating their division and conference titles, in addition to their Stanley Cup championships, because they're not as committed to winning world titles.

It didn't take Bruins president Cam Neely a breath to grab the microphone and respond to the disgruntled customer by flatly denying the person's premise was accurate. After the event, Neely expanded on what the Bruins' biggest target is every season.

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

Peter Chiarelli has traded away some big-name players during his eight seasons as general manager of the Boston Bruins and allowed others, like forward Jarome Iginla this summer, to leave as unrestricted free agents.

But regardless of how the Bruins' season ended, Chiarelli has kept the core intact.

Despite winning the Presidents' Trophy and then losing in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Montreal Canadiens last season, Chiarelli did it again. The core and most of the supporting cast is back for 2014-15. And Chiarelli has made sure the core that starts with center Patrice Bergeron, defenseman Zdeno Chara and goaltender Tuukka Rask will include center David Krejci for the foreseeable future. Krejci signed a contract extension this fall that kicks in after this season for six more years.

"It's awesome that they believe in you, that they trust you, that means a lot," Krejci said. "You just go out there and you play the game, you don't think about anything else. To have Peter, [president] Cam [Neely], the whole organization behind me, that's awesome, that's perfect. … So hopefully we can make a run, and that's why I signed here. I want to win another Cup, and this is the team that can do it and I'm happy to be here."

The Bruins thought they had enough to win the Cup last season. Chiarelli has bet the early playoff exit was an aberration. Only Iginla, forward Shawn Thornton, and goaltender Chad Johnson are gone. What holes there are in the lineup project to be filled by veterans who have been waiting for a bigger role, or prospects.

The Bruins have gone to the Stanley Cup Final the past two odd-numbered years. Here are the three keys for them to do it again in 2014-15: