Another NHL season is nearly upon us, and it's never too early to prognosticate.

Three players have legitimate opportunities to reclaim trophies they've won before.

Here's who we foresee collecting the major hardware at season's end:

Hart Trophy - Sidney Crosby

The Pittsburgh Penguins captain went on a tear down the stretch last season, exploding after the All-Star break en route to a Stanley Cup win and the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Crosby kept it going at the World Cup of Hockey, where he led Canada to the championship and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

He was nominated for the Hart Trophy last year, but he won't lose out to Patrick Kane this time around. Crosby is a two-time winner of the NHL's MVP award, and if he can avoid another early-season slump, he should have no problem making it three.

Vezina Trophy - Carey Price

Any concerns about the injury that limited Price to 12 games last season were allayed at the World Cup of Hockey, where the Montreal Canadiens goaltender extended his personal international win streak to 16 games and led Canada to another tournament title.

Price was the best netminder at the event, going 5-0-0 with a 1.40 GAA and .957 save percentage.

Losing P.K. Subban will make Price's job a little more difficult, but he's proven to be one of the NHL's most dependable goalies when healthy and should be considered the favorite to secure the Vezina Trophy for the second time in his career.

Norris Trophy - Erik Karlsson

Many argued Karlsson should have won this award last season, but the Ottawa Senators defenseman was - fairly or unfairly - likely a victim of his team's failure to make the playoffs.

Karlsson is arguably the best offensive defenseman in the NHL, and he logged more minutes last season (28:58 per game) than any other skater in the league.

The Senators' place in the standings shouldn't factor into the decision, but regardless, Karlsson should take home this award for the third time.

Calder Trophy - Auston Matthews

The NHL had one of its best rookie classes ever last season, including the likes of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Artemi Panarin, Dylan Larkin, and Shayne Gostisbehere.

The 2016-17 group won't be that deep, but Matthews should lead a strong crop of first-year phenoms.

He'll be challenged by Jimmy Vesey, Dylan Strome, and teammate Mitch Marner among others, but this should be the No. 1 overall pick's trophy to lose.

Jack Adams Award - Mike Sullivan

Crosby's resurgence and general manager Jim Rutherford's moves were major factors in the Penguins' late-season rise to the top, but Sullivan's contributions can't be discounted.

Despite losing his first four games behind the Pittsburgh bench, he went 33-16-5 to close out the regular season and 16-8 in the playoffs.

Suillivan will have virtually the same team again, presumably for a full campaign this time, and should secure this award by leading the potent Penguins to another honor - the Presidents' Trophy.

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theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.

In an effort to build their team back into playoff contenders, the Ottawa Senators cleaned house.

Ottawa brought in Pierre Dorion to succeed longtime general manager Bryan Murray, and appointed Guy Boucher the new bench boss, his second stint in the NHL.

Overall, the Senators will enter the season with a brand new approach, and here are three things to look out for in the nation's capital in 2016-17.

Can Boucher tighten things up?

Last season, Ottawa iced a potent attack, finishing ninth league-wide in goals for, but countered by ranking 26th in goals against.

Enter Boucher, who will be tasked with cleaning up the Senators' defensive zone inefficiencies. Luckily for Boucher, having Erik Karlsson at his disposal is a rock-solid foundation to build a gameplan around in both the defensive and offensive zones.

On top of defensive struggles, Ottawa was buried last season by poor special teams. Last year's Dave Cameron-led Senators ranked 26th in power-play conversion (15.8 percent), which is remarkable considering Karlsson, Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone - though limited with injuries - and Bobby Ryan are some of the offensive weapons this team can boast.

On top of a dreary power play, Ottawa ranked 29th with a 75.8 percent penalty-kill rate.

Was dealing Zibanejad the right call?

Ottawa's biggest move in the offseason was sending Mika Zibanejad to New York in exchange for Derick Brassard, a move that can't be conclusively evaluated for a few years, at least.

Brassard, 29, is a superior defender, and is coming off a 58-point season with the Rangers, but Zibanejad, only 23, was a first-round pick of the club in 2011, and scored a career-high 51 points for Ottawa in 2015-16.

With a reasonable cap hit of $5 million for three seasons, Brassard's contract doesn't hurt the Senators, and Dorion perhaps avoided providing a gratuitous paycheck to Zibanejad, who's a restricted free agent next offseason.

Will Bobby Ryan finally breakthrough?

After four seasons topping 30 goals with the Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa acquired Ryan in 2013 with hopes of the same productivity. Hopefully no one held their breath.

Ryan, who turns 30 in March, has still been a reliable point producer during his tenure with the Senators, and reached his highest mark with the club last season with 56 points in 81 games.

Still, Ottawa's braintrust, and fans for that matter, must be yearning to see Ryan - the player with the richest contract on the roster - bring his game to the level they gave up a first-round pick, among other pieces for.

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To see a list of all transactions throughout the summer, visit theScore's NHL Offseason Tracker

The Arizona Coyotes are closing in on a two-year extension with winger Tobias Rieder, reports Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos.

Talks between the club and restricted free agent appeared to have stalled last month, with Rieder's agent hinting that a trade out of Arizona could be best for both sides.

Rieder, 23, appeared in all 82 games last season, recording 14 goals and 23 assists.

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Cody Hodgson has taken his talents to the Nashville Predators' youth hockey program, an initiative which aims to teach the fundamentals of hockey.

Hodgson joins fellow Predators alumni in teaching hockey skills as part of the Little Preds Learn to Play program. Offered at six rinks across Tennessee, Alabama, and Indiana, the program attracts more than 1,200 participants from ages 4 to 8.

Hodgson appeared in 39 games with the Predators last season, while also splitting time with the minor-league affiliate in Milwaukee.

The 26-year-old did not receive a qualifying offer from the Predators in the summer, becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Drafted 10th overall by Vancouver in 2008, Hodgson made his debut with the Canucks in 2010. He was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres in 2012 and joined the Predators three years later.

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Radko Gudas is at it again.

The Philadelphia Flyers pest pasted Jimmy Vesey into the boards from behind late in the first period of Monday's preseason game against the New York Rangers.

Gudas was given a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct. Vesey returned to the game early in the second period.

The Flyers defenseman was suspended three games for a hit to the head of then-Ottawa Senators forward Mika Zibanejad last December.

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Jakob Chychrun appears to be on the fast track to the NHL.

The 16th overall selection in last year's draft, Chychrun, 18, could make his NHL debut as soon as this season, according to Arizona Coyotes associate coach Jim Playfair.

"We're looking a little deeper than that, we're probably looking at the 10-game segment to start the season where we can play with him there too," Playfair said. "It's not a rush decision with him."

Chychrun can play nine games in the NHL before burning the first year on his entry-level contract.

A projected top pick in last year's draft, the Coyotes selected Chychrun following a trade with the Detroit Red Wings that sent cap casualty Pavel Datsyuk, and the 16th pick, to the desert.

"(Chychrun) is a real solid player. I think he's a fun kid to watch play. He's a real mature player obviously and he's going to make some hard decisions for us," Playfair added. "He's done everything consistently that's allowed us to look at him as being a real solid player at this time."

Chychrun isn't the only rookie competing for a job with the Coyotes, with the likes of Dylan Strome, Christian Dvorak, and Lawson Crouse among the names fighting for spots up front. As for Chychrun, he'll need to win a spot on the left side over Kevin Connauton and Klas Dahlbeck, who both have several years of pro experience under their belts.

The Florida-born Chychrun, who will return to the OHL's Sarnia Sting if he does not make the NHL this season, will discover his fate soon enough, with the team's 23-man roster due Oct. 11.

As Coyotes general manager John Chayka told TSN's Bob McKenzie, "Physically, he's a man (6-2, 215). Unlike a lot of 18 year olds, he isn't physically overmatched (in the NHL). He has the tools to be new-age physical - below the dots in his own end, he's able to lean on people and eliminate them.

"He's moving the puck well, getting shots on net. He has all the tools to be a very good NHL defenceman."

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Steve Ott and Dylan Larkin sent one young Detroit Red Wings fan home with a memorable photo Sunday night.

While sharing the penalty box during the Red Wings' 6-3 preseason win over the Chicago Blackhawks, Ott and Larkin noticed Lylah posing for a picture beside them and decided to photobomb her. The result was adorable.

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The Anaheim Ducks announced four training-camp cuts Monday, with veteran forwards David Booth and David Jones among the names headed home.

Both players had joined the Ducks' camp on professional-tryout offers.

Booth, 31, spent the past season with Vladivostok Admiral of the KHL, scoring 16 points in 23 games. He spent the previous campaign with the Toronto Maple Leafs, while his career also had stops with the Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers.

The 32-year-old Jones split last season between the Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild, tallying 11 goals and seven assists through 75 games. He previously spent six years with the Colorado Avalanche, in addition to two full seasons with the Flames.

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