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.
• Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson and general manager Marc Bergevin rocked the Tomas Plekanec turtleneck during the forward’s 1,000th game ceremony on Wednesday night. [Getty Images]
• And then there was one. Nick Ritchie finally came to terms on a three-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks, leaving William Nylander as the only remaining unsigned restricted free agent. [Ducks]
• Jake Dotchin also signed with the Ducks, and filed a grievance against the Tampa Bay Lightning for having his contract terminated last month. He needs to pass through waivers first before joining the Ducks. [Raw Charge]
• Will Connor McDavid’s record night help spark a turnaround for the Edmonton Oilers? [TSN]
• The Toronto Maple Leafs’ centers could turn into what the Pittsburgh Penguins have, says Evgeni Malkin. [NHL.com]
• Will the real Penguins please stand up? [Pensburgh]
• Digging deep into the Vegas Golden Knights’ sluggish start. [Sportsnet]
• Those tough Western Conference battles he now experiences reminds Anaheim Ducks forward Adam Henrique of the old Devils/Rangers tilts. [ESPN.com]
• How the Washington Capitals are going about fixing their faceoff woes. [NBC Washington]
• A small sample size, but what can we take away from the Columbus Blue Jackets’ five games so far? [Jackets Cannon]
• The offense isn’t quite there yet for Nashville Predators forward Kevin Fiala. [Tennessean]
• A visual of what the Arizona Coyotes’ zero even strength goals looks like. [The Point]
• Time for the Chicago Blackhawks to start grabbing points in regulation and not relying on overtime. [Blackhawk Up]
• It’s a new, dynamic look in goal for the Boston Bruins with Jaroslav Halak and Tuukka Rask between the pipes. [Bruins Daily]
• What should the Calgary Flames do with Sam Bennett? [Flame for Thought]
• At some point this season the depth of the Dallas Stars is going to have to step up. [Defending Big D]
• It doesn’t matter who’s in net for the San Jose Sharks, they need to play tighter in front of Aaron Dell or Martin Jones. [NBC Bay Area]
• Finally, get to know a bit about Jack Hughes, the likely No. 1 pick in next June’s NHL entry draft:
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.