VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks made significant and at-times surprising changes in the summer but face familiar questions about their chances of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs again this season.

Much like they were heading into last season, the Canucks are considered a playoff longshot by many in part because of questions about some of those moves they made and in part because other Pacific Division opponents appeared to load up around them during the offseason.

The Calgary Flames, who knocked Vancouver out of the Western Conference First Round in six games last season, Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers all seem improved after finishing behind the Canucks in the Pacific Division. The same can be said for the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference.

That has led to a lot of questions that bring back memories from the start of last season, when the Canucks were coming off missing the playoffs and hearing talk about being an aging team in decline. Goaltender Ryan Miller thinks hearing those same questions again might be a good thing.

"Last year, the guys had something to prove early on and I think we have to maintain that because every year that's what kind of gets you through," Miller said. "You have to have a calling. We should have some youthful energy along with some guys who definitely want to prove something and it's funny, we kind of slide into the same script as last year where people aren't really talking about us doing too much."