PARITY IS A PRIORITY for Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber, a former NFL executive who views much of that league's business model—and all of its TV ratings—with envy.

And so long as MLS maintains its paltry salary cap—last year it was $3.1 million per team; this year's number has not been revealed—roster depth is not a viable option. So even the best-run MLS franchises will be a major injury or two away from completely cratering and missing the playoffs.

And that's a form of parity, right?

Here's a quick look at MLS' revamped Western Conference, with best- and worst-case scenarios for each team.

Colorado Rapids

THE ESSENTIALS: If the league gave out trophies for facial hair, Pablo Mastroeni and his marvelous mustache would be silverware shoo-ins. Since it doesn't, the Rapids will hope that the many new faces on the roster learn how to play together, and quickly. A revamped midfield (Juan Ramirez, Lucas Pittinari, Marcelo Sarvas) looks promising, but big questions remain about the attack (Deshorn Brown, Dominique Hadji) and a defense that gave up a league-worst 62 goals in 2014.

KEY LOSSES: Chris Klute, Marvell Wynne

KEY ADDITIONS: Juan Ramirez, Marcelo Sarvas, Zac MacMath, Sam Cronin

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: U.S. national team hopefuls Dillon Serna, Shane O'Neill, and Dillon Powers show steady improvement from their promising 2014 campaigns; the veteran additions provide necessary leadership; six-foot-seven rookie defender Alex Sjoberg establishes himself as an imposing presence on the backline; and the Rapids sneak into the postseason.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: The Rapids can't score goals and can't stop other teams from scoring goals, finishing dead last in the Western Conference.

FC Dallas

THE ESSENTIALS: Everything is looking up for FC Dallas, a talent-laden team featuring a young core of players who should only get better as the season progresses. It doesn't hurt that the team's coach, Oscar Pareja, gets the most out of his troops and seems like a man on a mission. With Matt Hedges anchoring the defense, Fabian Castillo running circles around opposing midfielders, and 2014 MLS Rookie of the Year Tesho Akindele ready to pounce in the penalty area, FC Dallas will be tough to beat.

KEY LOSSES: Raul Fernandez, Andres Escobar

KEY ADDITIONS: Dan Kennedy, Michael Barrios

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Mauro Diaz and Blas Perez return to form after injury-plagued seasons in 2014 and FC Dallas leans on both its depth and raw talent to win the Supporters Shield. With the team healthy as the postseason begins, the club runs over the competition and lifts MLS Cup in December.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Akindele suffers a sophomore slump, Castillo can't find any consistency, and FC Dallas limps to a disappointing fourth- or fifth-place finish in the West.

Houston Dynamo

THE ESSENTIALS: New head coach Owen Coyle started five 30-somethings in Houston's season opener on Saturday, a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew that flattered the victors. Can a Starting XI that features Brad Davis, DaMarcus Beasley, Jermaine Taylor, Ricardo Clark, and Oscar Boniek Garcia hold up over a long, hot Houston summer? The midseason arrival of Erick "Cubo" Torres will no doubt spur an attack that relies a bit too heavily on Giles Barnes and the enigmatic Will Bruin.

KEY LOSSES: Omar Cummings, Tally Hall, Andrew Driver

KEY ADDITIONS: Erick Torres, Raul Rodriguez, Leonel Miranda

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: The charismatic Coyle convinces his players to leap tall buildings in a single bound, everybody stays healthy, and the Dynamo secure the last playoff spot.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: The wheels fall off the wagon early and by the time Torres arrives on the scene, a demoralized Dynamo team is already thinking about 2016.

Los Angeles Galaxy

THE ESSENTIALS: Where there's a Bruce, there's a way. The Galaxy enter the 2015 season as favorites to repeat as champions despite Landon Donovan's retirement and Marcelo Sarvas' move to Colorado. Why? Because general manager/head coach Bruce Arena is the best front office guy in the league and always finds a way to 1) blend wily vets with promising youngsters and 2) get the most of his players.

KEY LOSSES: Landon Donovan, Marcelo Sarvas

KEY ADDITIONS: Steven Gerrard

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Keane gets off to a strong start, Robbie Rogers begins to thrive at left back, Gyasi Zardes builds on his remarkable 2014 season, and the defending MLS champions break out of the starting blocks quickly. Gerrard arrives in July and immediately elevates the team, which goes on to repeat as MLS champs.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: After a slow start, Arena's side loses Omar Gonzalez, Gyasi Zardes, and Robbie Rogers during the 2015 Gold Cup, and then Gerrard struggles to integrate into the team. The Galaxy still qualify for the playoffs but lose in the first round.

Portland Timbers

THE ESSENTIALS: Which Portland team will show up this season—the 2013 version that outplayed just about every team in the league or the 2014 version that didn't even make the playoffs? Carryover injuries to Will Johnson, Diego Valeri, and Ben Zemanski won't help Caleb Porter's team early in 2015, but defensive worries will remain even when the three midfielders return. The club added high-upside defenders Nick Besler and Andy Thoma in the MLS SuperDraft, but they shouldn't be counted on as difference-makers so early in their careers.

KEY LOSSES: Steve Zakuani, Donovan Ricketts, Michael Harrington

KEY ADDITIONS: Nat Borchers, Adam Kwarasey

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: A Borchers-led defense hunkers down and bunkers the Timbers to a .500 record at the All Star break. The ailing midfielders all return, reclaim their past glory, and guide the team into a fourth-place finish.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Impatience rules the day in PDX when Darlington Nagbe gets off to a slow start and the offense sputters. Porter opts for a high-risk approach and the injury-ravaged Timbers lose seven or eight in a row in the first half of the season. The best fans in the league miss out on the postseason again.

Real Salt Lake

THE ESSENTIALS: Will Real Salt Lake's seven-year postseason run come to an end in 2015? Thanks in large part to player continuity, RSL weathered the 2013 departure of Jason Kreis and finished in third place last season. But now that longtime stalwarts Nat Borchers, Ned Grabavoy, and Chris Wingert have also left Utah, the burden falls squarely on the shoulders of long-in-the-tooth veterans like Kyle Beckerman, Nick Rimando, Alvaro Saborio, and Jamison Olave. Meanwhile, perennial prospect Luis Gil will need to step and truly be a difference-maker if Jeff Cassar's team is to succeed.

KEY LOSSES: Nat Borchers, Ned Grabavoy, Chris Wingert

KEY ADDITIONS: Jamison Olave, Demar Phillips

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Joao Plata—now a designated player but still very short—recovers quickly and returns to a prominent role in the attack, everybody else stays healthy, the new 4-3-3 alignment works just like Cassar drew it up, and RSL cruises to a third- or fourth-place finish in the new and improved Western Conference.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Injuries strike a few of the thirtysomethings, Gold Cup duty calls several others away, Gil only makes incremental improvements—and RSL watches the 2015 playoffs on TV.

San Jose Earthquakes

THE ESSENTIALS: A shiny new stadium and a wily old coach have raised expectations in San Jose, but let's not forget that this team had the worst record in the Western Conference—worse than hapless (and defunct) Chivas USA. You just know that coach Dominic Kinnear will get the best out of his charges, but will that be enough to lift this Island of Misfit Toys-like collection of talent into playoff contention? Everything will have to go right, and new DP Innocent Emeghara will need to prove he's worth every penny he's making. Also: New York gets Frank Lampard, Orlando gets Kaka, Los Angeles gets Steven Gerrard—how about a superstar signing in the Bay Area?

KEY LOSSES: Jon Busch, Atiba Harris, Sam Cronin, Jason Hernandez

KEY ADDITIONS: Innocent Emeghara, Sanna Nyassi, Marvell Wynne

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Chris Wondolowski runs away with the MLS Golden Boot award, Clarence Goodson and Victor Bernardez carry the defense on their shoulders, and the Earthquakes are still in the running for the sixth and final playoff spot in September.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: A repeat of 2014—last place in the West.

Seattle Sounders

THE ESSENTIALS: Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins give Seattle the most potent attack in the league—as the pair demonstrated against New England in last Sunday’s 3-0 season-opening victory. The midfield—Marco Pappa, Gonzalo Pineda, Lamar Neagle, and (the currently injured) Osvaldo Alonzo—has a near-perfect blend of skill and bite. Sure, the backline has a few question marks but it’s safe to say that Sigi Schmid’s men will be looking to improve upon their two-trophy haul from a year ago.

KEY LOSSES: DeAndre Yedlin, Jalil Anibaba

KEY ADDITIONS: Tyrone Mears, Cristian Roldan

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Alonso returns to health, the somewhat aged core stays healthy, the Emerald City Supporters continue to make a lot of noise, and the Sounders win the trophy that eluded them last year.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Aging joints and artificial turf are a bad combination, but even if a few players go down for extended spells, the Sounders qualify for the playoffs.

Sporting Kansas City

THE ESSENTIALS: The perennial playoff powers lost their way last season, and Peter Vermes' team will have a new look in 2015. But questions about those who remain with SKC will determine the fate of this side. Can Matt Besler and Graham Zusi bounce back from poor post-World Cup showings? Is Dom Dwyer the second coming of Chris Wondolowski or were those 22 goals last season a bit of a fluke? And which Benny Feilhaber will show up on any given night—the technically gifted creator or the easy-to-dispossess defensive liability? SKC, formerly a beast in the East, will have to step up its game to compete in MLS' loaded Western Conference.

KEY LOSSES: Aurelien Collin, Soony Saad, C.J. Sapong, Claudio Bieler

KEY ADDITIONS: Jalil Anibaba, Roger Espinoza, Krisztan Nemeth, Luis Marin

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: The return of high-energy midfielder Roger Espinoza sets the tone for the squad, Besler and Zusi bounce back, and nobody even notices that the tall, brash, bald, collar-popping French guy is no longer on the back line. SKC makes the playoffs and wins a round before bowing out in the conference finals.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Krisztan Nemeth and Dwyer don't click and Besler and Zusi continue their struggles, as KC misses the postseason for the first time since 2011.

Vancouver Whitecaps

THE ESSENTIALS: Vancouver struggled to score all last season, sneaking into the playoffs despite just 42 measly tallies and a plus-two goal differential. Will the attack improve in 2015? Hard to say. Designated Player Octavio Rivero scored a goal in the home opener, but the Uruguayan also missed an all-time sitter in the 3-1 home loss to Toronto. Nerves? A portent for the season? More worrisome for the British Columbian side was that its vaunted defense gave up three unanswered goals to a Toronto team that is still trying to figure out if it's any good.

KEY LOSSES: Mehdi Ballouchy, Andy O'Brien, Sebastian Fernandez

KEY ADDITIONS: Octavio Rivero, Pa Mouda Kah

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Rivero lights up the attack, singlehandedly changes the defensive-minded culture of the squad, and Vancouver surprises everybody and qualifies for the last playoff spot.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Can't score, can't defend, can't win.

That's what John Godfrey thinks—what do you think? Share your predictions in the Comments section below.

John Godfrey is the founder and editor in chief of American Soccer Now.