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.
• This may come to you as a surprise, but the NHL is becoming increasingly reliant on young defensemen. (TSN.ca)
• Speaking of shocking revelations: The Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews are talking about a contract extension. (Sportsnet)
• The most popular goalie to come out of the 2017-18 season is heading to the Chicago Blackhawks convention. (Sporting News)
• Here are the top contenders for the Rocket Richard Trophy for next season. (Featurd)
• The cost to renovate KeyArena for use by a future NHL team in Seattle is soaring in price. (Sports Illustrated)
• You know what would help appease all sides in the Artemi Panarin situation? A trade, apparently. (Sporting News)
• How the NHL’s new goalie pad size regulation will affect Matt Murray and the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Pensburgh)
• The Ottawa Senators should be avoiding arbitration hearings with both Mark Stone and Cody Ceci. (Ottawa Sun)
• A story on the man who watched every single game Jarome Iginla played for the Calgary Flames. (Calgary Sun)
• The St. Louis Blues have the largest payroll in the NHL currently. (Sports Daily)
• Montreal Canadiens newcomer Max Domi inspired by fellow diabetic Bobby Clarke. (Montreal Gazette)
• The Benn brothers, Jamie and Jordie, received the ultimate Victoria Grizzlies honour. (The Times Colonist)
• The MnM Podcast discusses the best contracts in the NHL. (Last Word on Hockey)
• The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was the worst in Florida Panthers history. Bonus marks if you remember any of these guys and aren’t a Panthers fan. (Litter Box Cats)
• Todd McLellan is under the gun to turn the Edmonton Oilers into a winner. (Edmonton Journal)
• For those done with reading this morning, the new the folks over at GameSpot did a Stanley Cup Final rematch in the upcoming NHL 19 video game.
Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck