from Bruce Dowbiggin at Sportsnet,

The NHL season opens in just over a week. How you feel about that probably reflects how much you’re into the Toronto Blue Jays’ voodoo. If you wouldn’t mind the NHL delaying a couple of weeks, you’re probably a Josh Donaldson fan. If you want the puck brigade to start yesterday, you probably believe baseball is for losers.

For those with Zamboni dreams, let’s do our first flood of the year. NHL teams will be rated weekly throughout the endless slog of this season. Just because Gary Bettman thinks that Canadian teams belong in different divisions doesn’t mean that IDLM gives a woo-hah. We’re going to make it our solemn duty to follow the seven NHL teams in their own grouping this season — even though none ranks in the Top 7 of the league.

Injuries and unnatural disasters at Canada Customs can always change things. But for now, here’s our preseason look at the Loonie League.

1) Calgary. This will be controversial for analytics fans. The Flames’ tepid puck possession numbers last year defied their fine finish. But we have Calgary winning the Loonie because — as Chicago showed — defence is everything.

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