So far in two events 15 teams have competed, and really there have been no contenders eliminated at all, though the team at the stop of the standings is unlikely to make it. At the first two events there have been:
Skate America:
1. Meryl Davis & Charlie White-Will win Japan, and then prepare themselves for their actual first competition of the season at the Finale.
2. Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte-Would need to win Japan to seal it, which won't happen, but with teams tending to collect multiple top medals a lot in ice dance, silver should get them in no problem, and bronze makes their chances good. For silver they have to beat Elena Ilynykh & Nikita Katsalapov, which is doable, though hard. For bronze they would really only have to hold off Maia & Alex Shibutani or possible Victoria Sinitsina & Ruslan Zhiganshin, which if they skate clean probably won't be a problem.
3. Maia & Alex Shibutani-Would also have to win Japan to seal it, and to stay in it they need at least silver, which is going to be very difficult for them to get ahead of the Italians; they may need help.
4. Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue-Both events complete; bronze in Canada leaves them out of it.
Skate Canada(except Hubbell & Donohue):
1. Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir-Should win France unless Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat pull off the shocker.
2. Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Pojé-Would have to win Russia to seal it, where beating Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev is possible, but the Russians will be very much favored. For silver and a likely qualification, they need to fend off Madison Chock & Evan Bates, Ekaterina Riazanova & Ilia Tkachenko & possibly Ksenia Monko & Kirill Khavalian or Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier, but they will be favored there, especially over the latter two teams, leaving them unlikely to finish with less than bronze, which leaves them with a good chance at worst.
4. Ekaterina Riazanova & Ilia Tkachenko-Would probably have to win Russia, which is very unlikely; nor is silver likely, though it's possible.
Contenders yet to compete:
Probable:
Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat
Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev
Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov
Possible:
Madison Chock & Evan Bates
Ksenia Monko & Kirill Khavalian
Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier
Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron
...they don't have a second event?!
Victoria Sinitsina & Ruslan Zhiganshin
Skate America:
1. Meryl Davis & Charlie White-Will win Japan, and then prepare themselves for their actual first competition of the season at the Finale.
2. Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte-Would need to win Japan to seal it, which won't happen, but with teams tending to collect multiple top medals a lot in ice dance, silver should get them in no problem, and bronze makes their chances good. For silver they have to beat Elena Ilynykh & Nikita Katsalapov, which is doable, though hard. For bronze they would really only have to hold off Maia & Alex Shibutani or possible Victoria Sinitsina & Ruslan Zhiganshin, which if they skate clean probably won't be a problem.
3. Maia & Alex Shibutani-Would also have to win Japan to seal it, and to stay in it they need at least silver, which is going to be very difficult for them to get ahead of the Italians; they may need help.
4. Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue-Both events complete; bronze in Canada leaves them out of it.
Skate Canada(except Hubbell & Donohue):
1. Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir-Should win France unless Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat pull off the shocker.
2. Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Pojé-Would have to win Russia to seal it, where beating Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev is possible, but the Russians will be very much favored. For silver and a likely qualification, they need to fend off Madison Chock & Evan Bates, Ekaterina Riazanova & Ilia Tkachenko & possibly Ksenia Monko & Kirill Khavalian or Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier, but they will be favored there, especially over the latter two teams, leaving them unlikely to finish with less than bronze, which leaves them with a good chance at worst.
4. Ekaterina Riazanova & Ilia Tkachenko-Would probably have to win Russia, which is very unlikely; nor is silver likely, though it's possible.
Contenders yet to compete:
Probable:
Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat
Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev
Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov
Possible:
Madison Chock & Evan Bates
Ksenia Monko & Kirill Khavalian
Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier
Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron
...they don't have a second event?!
Victoria Sinitsina & Ruslan Zhiganshin