Pens sure to trade to shake things up

Are the New York Islanders a playoff team? Are the Vancouver Canucks this good? Are Bob Boughner’s and Mike Yeo’s jobs safe?

There is plenty we don’t know early in the second month of this NHL season. But here are five things we do know with less than two weeks before U.S. Thanksgiving:

Let’s make a deal

When Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford took his team to task in a candid interview on 105.9 FM in Pittsburgh Wednesday, you can be sure players took notice. He will make a trade. Soon.

Rutherford is among the most aggressive traders in NHL history.

The Penguins need defensive help and a spark up front. Rutherford said he doesn’t see any desirable defenseman in the market place, but he has a history of finding what he needs. The Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes could be willing trade partners.

Swedish sensation

Unquestionably, Elias Pettersson, 19, is the NHL’s best rookie. The debate is whether we should already consider the Vancouver Canuck one of the league’s top players.

Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill compared him to Pavel Datsyuk because of his deceptiveness. He pointed out Pettersson is more dominant than fellow Swedish countryman Peter Forsberg was at his age. He was the first player in 26 years to score nine or more goals in the first nine games of his NHL career.

Pettersson has 10 goals and 17 points in 11 games.

Stanley Cup preview

The Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning are the two teams that have most lived up to expectations this NHL season.

Nobody would be shocked if these two teams ended up in the Stanley Cup Final. Both teams have a balanced roster, rich in skill and playoff experience. Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne, 36, is playing as if he is in the prime of his career. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is only now exploring the depths of his talent.

The Predators have the No. 1 defensive team (2.07 goals per game), and Lightning have the No. 5 defensive team. The Lightning are the No. 2 offensive team (3.63) and the Predators are tied for sixth (3.40).

Offense back in style

With nearly a fifth of the season in the books, scoring is up 4.7 percent. Teams are averaging

3.11 goals per game, according to hockeyreference.com. If that holds, it would be the NHL’s highest team average since 1995-96 when teams averaged 3.14.

It’s unlikely the NHL will return to the high-scoring ways of the 1980s when teams averaged 3.5 to 4.0 goals per game. Goalies are too big, too talented, and emphasis on defense is too unwavering.

Don’t write off Knights

The Las Vegas Golden Knights aren’t in a playoff spot but give them credit for hanging in there while enduring this period of injuries and bad luck.

Injuries and No. 1 defenseman Nate Schmidt’s 20-game suspension are the reasons for the slow start. Alex Tuch missed the first eight games because of a lower body injury. Paul Stastny’s injury was a major blow. Max Pacioretty was hurt and now Erik Haula is out for an undetermined time. When everyone is healthy and Schmidt returns, the Golden Knights will be back in the hunt.