About a tenth of the way into the 2016-17 NHL season, it’s hard to draw concrete conclusions on just about everything.
Among those things very much in flux at this point are the standings. A number of teams are right where preseason prognostications pointed, but four of them are exceeding expectations: the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers currently lead the East and West respectively, while the Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks find themselves among the league’s hottest starts.
Which of these teams has the best chance of continuing their early-season success? SI’s chief hockey watchers give their best arguments.