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

The Buffalo Sabres aren't quite ready to join the ranks of the NHL's elite, but they're headed in the right direction.

A pair of second overall picks made their marks in 2015-16, becoming the first Sabres rookie duo in more than 40 years to score 20 goals apiece, and a new free-agent addition should bolster Buffalo's top line this season.

Here are three Sabres players to keep an eye on in 2016-17:

Jack Eichel

Buffalo's consolation prize in the Connor McDavid sweepstakes proved he was much more than that, notching a team-leading 24 goals and 56 points (second to Ryan O'Reilly) in a memorable rookie campaign.

Eichel's speed, hands, and ability to finish put him on many highlight reels in 2015-16, and that trend should only continue.

The 19-year-old is locked in as the Sabres' second-line center and should see a gradual increase in ice time, which is good news if you're a fan of spectacular plays.

Kyle Okposo

He's not Steven Stamkos, but Okposo was still a significant free-agent splash for Buffalo.

The 28-year-old winger gives the Sabres another playmaker on the top line and the power play, and should produce at a similar clip as he did in parts of nine seasons with the New York Islanders.

His arrival also takes some pressure off Eichel and the other young guns as they continue to develop, and Okposo should be a vital cog in Buffalo's offense for years to come.

Sam Reinhart

Reinhart nearly matched Eichel's scoring prowess in his own rookie season, collecting 23 goals and finishing with 42 points in 2015-16.

The 19-year-old did it while playing about two fewer minutes per game than his teammate, and like Eichel, Reinhart's role should grow in his second go-around.

He's already shown he can find the back of the net at the NHL level, and he also demonstrated that in the WHL and the world juniors before joining the Sabres.

Buffalo could certainly make a playoff push in 2016-17, but even if they fall short, there's no shortage of burgeoning talent on the roster.

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You wouldn't know there were nine preseason NHL games by the way many hockey players were tweeting Tuesday night.

The majority of the hockey world's attention was instead focused squarely on the American League wild-card game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles.

When Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning, the celebration was on.

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Daniel Carr is making his case for a full-time spot with the Montreal Canadiens.

The 24-year-old certainly gave head coach Michelle Therrien something to consider in exhibition play on Tuesday. Carr picked off a Zdeno Chara pass late in the third period, then dangled him and linemate Adam McQuaid before beating Tuukka Rask for a sensational goal to give the Canadiens a 4-3 lead over the Bruins.

Carr dressed in 23 games for the Canadiens last season thanks in large to the team's many injuries, but will be looking to make it on his own merit this season.

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The Chicago Blackhawks should have their top defenseman in the lineup when the regular season kicks off next week.

Duncan Keith has not played since he was replaced by Jay Bouwmeester on Team Canada's blue line at the World Cup of Hockey while he recovers from a knee injury, but expects to be in the lineup on Oct. 12 against the St. Louis Blues, he told NHL.com's Brian Hedger.

Before that happens, he will get his first taste of game action when the Blackhawks take on the Detroit Red Wings in a preseason tilt on Tuesday.

"I haven't played a game in a long time, like a lot of guys (have), so I'm just going to keep it simple and I'll just get that feeling back again," Keith said. "It's just one of those things now where it's going to be just focusing on maintaining my health and doing everything I can to make sure I'm feeling as good as I can to play."

Keith played 67 games for the Blackhawks last season, contributing nine goals and 43 points.

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For one more day, Barret Jackman is a member of the St. Louis Blues.

The defenseman signed a one-day contract with the club prior to officially announcing his retirement from professional hockey Tuesday.

Jackman, 35, appeared in 876 career NHL games, 803 of which were played with the Blues, who drafted him 17th overall in 1999.

Ultimately unable to help the Blues win a Stanley Cup, he did score two of the most memorable goals in recent Blues playoff history; in 2013, he scored the game-winning goal late in the third period in Game 2 of a first-round series against Los Angeles, and in 2014, he repeated the feat, ending Game 2 of the a first-round series with Chicago in the first overtime period.

Jackman - a rugged, stay-at-home defenseman - hit free agency following the 2014-15 season and signed with the Nashville Predators, but the final year of the deal was bought out this past offseason.

The 2003 Calder Trophy winner recorded 28 goals, 181 assists, and 1,026 penalty minutes over the course of his career, and was also a member of Canada's gold-medal winning World Championship squad in 2007.

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Entering the season on a wave, Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby - the reigning Stanley Cup- and World Cup-winning captain - has overtaken Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks as the Hart Trophy favorite.

Here are the complete odds, which include Connor McDavid lurking not too far behind:

Odds courtesy Bodog.

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Auston Matthews, the much-hyped No. 1 overall draft selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is a significant favorite to have the greatest impact season among rookies - at least in the eyes of Las Vegas.

Here are the opening odds for the Calder Trophy:

Odds courtesy Bodog.

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

The Arizona Coyotes have signed Tobias Rieder to a two-year contract.

As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed, but it's been reported the deal is worth $4.45 million, thereby carrying a cap hit of $2,225,000.

"We are very pleased to sign Tobi to a multi-year contract," said general manager John Chayka. "Tobi is a reliable, two-way forward who competes extremely hard. He had a great World Cup and we are excited to have him back."

Rieder, 23, recorded 14 goals and 23 assists in 82 games last season, and collected one assist in six games for Team Europe at the World Cup.

Originally drafted by Edmonton in the fourth round of the 2011 NHL Draft, Rieder was acquired by the Coyotes in 2013 in exchange for Kale Kessy.

The new deal ends an extended - and at times stalled - negotiation process between the two sides.

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