The early NHL season is always very misleading - for instance, the Toronto Maple Leafs have won 10 out of their last 12 games. That's incredibly impressive, but it's not who they are.
Earlier in the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs were the only team to beat the Winnipeg Jets who won 14 of their first 15 games. Both teams now have essentially the same record. The Jets run was awesome, but that isn't who they are either.
To be sure, both Winnipeg and Toronto are contenders, but they aren't as good as those crazy hot streaks make them season - in fact, if you combined both teams into one ultra team, they still wouldn't win ten of twelve games very often, if ever. Those kinds of runs are only possible with the assistance of insanely good luck, and only make us overate the teams that pull them off.
So with that in mind, let's check out the NHL's top cup contenders. (cap info puckpedia.com).
The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Top 10 NHL Cup Contenders
10. Tampa Bay Lightning
Don't count them out because Kucherov is still playing like a Hart Trophy player, while Victor Hedman doesn't seem to age.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs
I would have the Leafs higher if there was any way to know that their goaltending would last. Other than the Knights and Oilers, all other contenders have more established top goalies. Also, the Leafs tendency to shoot themselves in the foot by having bad players in the lineup, or too high up in the lineup, really hurts them. As does their centre-ice depth and lack of cap space.
If the Leafs add Trent Federic and an elite top-four defenseman to their roster somehow, they would be the team to beat. Until then, they're just outside the top Cup Contenders. Then again, if Auston Matthews gets hot in the playoffs, they'll win the Stanley Cup and none of this will matter!