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PHT Morning Skate: Are the Rangers bad enough to win the lottery?

New York Rangers v Montreal Canadiens

MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 28: Head coach of the New York Rangers Alain Vigneault gathers his players in the third period against the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on October 28, 2017 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the New York Rangers 5-4. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

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--Sharks defenseman Paul Martin inspired this young fan to raise money for his anti-bullying foundation. “The reason I wanted to do this was because Paul had an event and I was too young. But then when I gave him the check, he invited me, my friend, and my mom and my dad.” (fearthefin.com)

--Joe Thornton did a Q&A with ESPN.com about a number of hilarious topics, including his current love of Netflix and that ESPN body issue. Thornton is awesome. (ESPN)

--Wayne Gretzky asked Dr. Murray Howe (Gordie’s son) about his dad’s life. “One of the best lessons Dad taught me was how to be a good hockey parent. He never pushed me to play. After each game he’d ask me, “Did you have fun?” He didn’t point out my mistakes or my teammates’. Instead, he’d identify at least one thing that I did well. Then he’d buy me ice cream.” (mcleans.ca)

--This young Chicago Blackhawks fan that has a muscle disorder in his legs dressed up as the United Center’s Zamboni for Halloween. “Some nights I was working on it ‘til two a.m.,” Jim DelGenio said. (abc7ny.com)

--Players from the CWHL and NWHL feel like they need to merge the leagues for the benefit of women’s hockey. “We always talk about it — the best in the world have to merge,” Team Canada’s Laura Fortino said . “We hope the commissioners of both sides come to that reality, that in order for women’s hockey to get to the peak where we want it to be, we all have to be playing with the best.” (New York Times)

--The New Jersey Devils are one of the biggest surprises in the league this season, but they need to find a way to keep it going in November. They kicked off November with a bang last year, they just couldn’t keep it going. (pucksandpitchforks.com)

--Like the Devils, the Canucks are off to a surprising start as well. One reason they’ve had some success is because of strong goaltending from Anders Nilsson and Jacob Markstrom. But which one of these two goalies should be the starter based on advanced stats? (thecanucksway.com)

--The Leafs’ roster is filled with promise this season, but they’re still missing a number one defenseman. But do teams really need a top defender to win a Stanley Cup? Even if they fall short of that goal, they shouldn’t feel too bad about it because the future is bright. (Vice.com)

--The Rangers have been pretty underwhelming this season, but are they actually bad enough to win the draft lottery? Getting the first overall pick could help push them toward a Stanley Cup. (nhlnumbers.com)

--Derek Dorsett is off to a crazy start for the Canucks. He has six goals (first on the team) and eight points (second on the team) this season. How long can this keep going? (dailyhive.com)

--University of Denver head coach Jim Montgomery interviewed for the Panthers job this off-season, but he didn’t get it. Instead, he’s back at the University of Denver. The fact that he returned is huge for the team and the hockey program. (collegehockeynews.com)

--You may not recognize Ryan Zapolski’s name, but you might in the near future. Zapolski, who plays in the KHL, is one of the favorites to represent Team USA between the pipes at the upcoming Olympics. He never would’ve imagined that this would be possible. “It’s disappointing for fans that the NHL wouldn’t be there [in PyeongChang],” Zapolski said. “but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.” (NBC Sports)

Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.