Breaking down the latest edition of the Canucks It starts where it all finished one year ago for the Canucks; Calgary and the sea of red. That Saturday night in April did more than just end the playoff run for Vancouver in six games, but it's quite possible the Flames were the last spark that lit the fire of change in Canuckland. Jon Abbott of TSN Radio 1040 breaks down what's new - and old - for the new campaign.

OPENING NIGHT

It starts where it all finished one year ago for the Canucks; Calgary and the sea of red. That Saturday night in April did more than just end the playoff run for Vancouver in six games, but it's quite possible the Flames were the last spark that lit the fire of change in Canuckland. A transition summer has also led to a transition season. That was made very clear. Not a soul from management will be calling this a "rebuild" year. Playoffs still remain a mandate for Jim Benning's club and yet, it is unclear how the West will be won, considering others within the division and the conference appear to have loaded up to be part of the post-season picture.

So, ahead of the puck dropping on the 2015-16 season, let's ponder some questions that may get answered along the way.

WHAT'S CHANGED?

Speed - The Canucks feel they have improved in this area. It is not simply skating hard to the puck or with the puck, but the pace in which they play the game. The increased roles for Horvat, Baertschi, McCann and Virtanen up front, combined with the game of Hansen should mean they orchestrate a faster offence and a more threatening forecheck. The blue line factors in here, as well. Additions of Hutton and Bartkowski are expected to join with the other defencemen and get the puck up to forwards and out of the Canucks d-zone much more quickly. The Canucks also feel they have improved the mobility of the d-core.

Youth – Jake Virtanen is 19 years old. Jared McCann is 19. Bo Horvat is 20. Ben Hutton is 22. Sven Baertschi is 23. All of those players made the Canucks' opening night roster and are Vancouver's examples of the NHL trend to let youth blossom and salary caps breathe. A new core may be necessary in the years to come and the above players lend their names to the conversation as it's related to the "transition" part of this season.

The Middle – When Brandon Sutter was acquired in a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins not only was he expected to help the faceoff percentage improve and pick up the slack left by Brad Richardson, but he was also expected to take some of the pressure away from Bo Horvat. What was considered a third-line centre role for Horvat has now been upgraded to the second line. Horvat has made the jump to play with Vrbata as his winger to start the year. Sutter is now on the wing, to the right of the Sedins and Jared McCann has been given a shot to skate down the middle on the third line. Remove Vey and add Cracknell and the centre ice position looks drastically different for Game 1 than it did during Day 1 of camp.

WHAT'S STAYED THE SAME?

Lack of physicality on the blue line – While the puck moving aspect may have been improved among the Canucks d-core, there are still questions that surround their toughness. With the departure of Kevin Bieksa, the gritty defenceman is now Luca Sbisa. Sbisa certainly steps up to throw a hit and be physical along the boards. He will also be relied upon to clear the front of the net. But he can't play every shift and that is a big load for one man to carry. Who else can step up that way?

Ryan Miller – Much to the chagrin of many Canucks fans, Miller is once again the number one goalie in the rotation. Miller put together a 29-win season last year and managed to return from injury in time to dress in the playoffs. He also had the support of Eddie Lack. While Jacob Markstrom played well through the pre-season, it remains to be clear if he can shoulder the tough responsibility of staying sharp, while playing fewer games than at the AHL level. Markstrom also starts the season injured. It was expected Miller would get a lot of games this year and he will now be counted on more heavily to get the Canucks off to a good start. Can his body hold up? Will he be able to succeed with a busier schedule?

A right winger for the twins – At the start of last season the job belonged to Radim Vrbata. Vrbata excelled even without Daniel and Henrik and finished the season as the team leader in goals, with 31. Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen were both used up front, along with the Sedins, for parts of last year. When the playoffs started and Burrows was injured, it once again became a rotating role for Vrbata and Hansen to fill. Now at Game 1 of the regular season, after having Virtanen, Grenier and Kenins take turns during the pre-season, it is Brandon Sutter who earns the tap on the shoulder. A converted winger, he is charged not only to be Alex Burrows 2.0 with style of play, but also take some draws with his right hand shot and provided added insurance defensively. He may stick on the right side, or it could be back to the drawing board. Does Burrows return to the Sedin line? Will Sutter stay on line one? What happens when Virtanen gets into the lineup? How long do they keep McCann in the middle?

WHAT NEEDS TO BE REPEATED?

Special Teams – Both the power play and penalty kill finished inside the NHL's top ten last season. The power play was 8th and the penalty kill was second. These are two crucial factors in the Canucks success and they must be repeated for this team to remain in the playoff conversation.

Wins vs. the division – The Canucks finished .500 or better against every divisional team, except the LA Kings. Their division record was still over .500 and they were able to make the most of head-to-head match-ups vs. the likes of the bottom feeding Coyotes and Oilers. If they can rattle off another campaign with 17-18 wins from divisional games, they should be in good position to claim a divisional entry or wild-card entry into the post season.

It seems early to be writing about what will lead the Canucks to a playoff berth, or what will lead to their demise and that is true. However, it all starts against the Flames and we've already been told ahead of Game 1, the hope is for a better finish.