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 in the middle of the second month of this NHL season. But here are five
things we do know.
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 last week, you can be sure players took notice. He will
make a trade. Soon.
“Has this team been together
too long? It’s something I always have to watch for,” Rutherford said. “When do
you have to make those changes? The players are doing everything they can to
tell me now’s the time.”
Rutherford is among the most
aggressive traders in NHL history. In an era when GMs lament how difficult it
is to make deals, Rutherford has made multiple trades, many having major
impacts on his team. Among Penguins he acquired through trades: Phil Kessel,
Justin Schultz, Riley Sheahan, Patric Hornqvist and Jamie Oleksiak.
The Penguins need defensive
help and a spark up front. Rutherford said he doesn’t see any desirable
defensemen 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, 20, is the NHL’s best rookie. The debate is whether we should
already consider the Canucks forward 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 had 10 goals and
17 points through 12 games. He’s slick, quick and magical with the puck
and he’s better than average defensively. How good are his hands? Look at
videos online that show him juggling while riding a unicycle. As a teenager, Pettersson
is already one of the league’s most entertaining players.
STANLEY
CUP PREVIEW
The Nashville Predators and
Tampa Bay Lightning are the two teams that have most lived up to
expectations this season.
Nobody would be
shocked if they 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 (2.19 goals per game) and the Lightning have the No. 8
defensive team. The Lightning are the No. 1 offensive team (3.65) and the
Predators are second (3.50).
Nashville downed Tampa Bay
4-1 when they met Nov. 1.
OFFENSE
BACK IN STYLE
With about a fifth of the
season in the books, scoring was up about 4 percent. Teams were averaging 3.06
goals per game, according to Hockey-reference .com.
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.
But if the scoring rate
continues at this pace, it would mark the third consecutive season scoring has
risen.
DON’T
WRITE OFF GOLDEN KNIGHTS
The 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.
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