Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• University of Alabama hockey player Jon Lovorn is dedicating this season to the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary School. (SECCountry.com)
• It’s time for the NHL to give all 31 teams an outdoor game next season. (Vice Sports)
• Philly.com takes a look at Sean Couturier’s “well-balanced” life and how it got him to the NHL. (Philly.com)
• A strong end to 2017 could help the Predators land home ice advantage in the playoffs (Predlines)
• If/when Seattle makes it to the NHL, there might be too many teams in the Pacific Division. How would realignment look? (Five for Howling)
• One of the reasons the Oilers have struggled for so long is because of their inability to select solid players late in drafts. (OilersNation.com)
• The only thing that appears to be holding the Islanders back is goaltending. (The Hockey News)
• The Hershey Bears released their 2018 Outdoor Classic Jersey for their game against Lehigh Valley next month. (RussianMachineNeverBreaks.com)
• The Rangers’ recent struggles prove that they need to be sellers before the trade deadline. (NY Post)
• The Devils and Coyotes swapped minor-league forwards yesterday. New Jersey got Michael Latta while the Coyotes got Ryan Kujawinski. (NHL.com/Coyotes)
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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.