The season is nearly upon us, and what good is the pre-season if you can't use it for some semi-baseless speculation?

A lot of stuff happens over the course of 32 teams playing 82 games apiece, and that includes everything from surprise over- or underperformance to devastating injuries. But in the pre-season, we at least get to pretend everyone will perform to their potential or beyond, and stay in the lineup for the vast majority of the season.

Is that realistic? Of course not. Is it easier than the alternative? You bet.

Please do not say to me, "What about [guy from the team you like]?" (and also do not say to me, "You didn't do one for the Lady Byng"). We can and should always allow for two or three other players to work their way into the mix, but these are just the guys who kind of jump off the page as candidates.

We started the series off last week with a look at five candidates for the Hart Memorial and Ted Lindsay trophies, and we've since followed up with five candidates for the Norris Trophy, five more for the Vezina Trophy, and another five for the Frank J. Selke Trophy. Next up, we're looking at the five players with the best chances of locking up the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league's top rookie. The candidates are presented in alphabetical order rather than their perceived chance to win.