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.
• Charles Wang always fought to keep the Islanders on Long Island. He’s an important figure in the franchise’s history. (Newsday)
• Former NHLer Jordin Tootoo announcement his retirement from professional hockey. He became the first player from Nunavut to make it all the way to the NHL. (North Jersey)
• Teams have been pulling goaltenders earlier and earlier over the last few years. But how much does that make sense? TSN’s Travis Yost breaks it down. (TSN)
• Hockey fans have been blessed with plenty of goals so far this season, but will that continue? (Spector’s Hockey)
• With expectations rising quickly in New Jersey, the Devils believe they have a group of players that are ready to meet to compete at a high level. (The Trentonian)
• Younger players like Auston Matthews and Evgeny Kuznetsov are bringing “attitude” back to the game with their post-goal celebrations and fashion statements. Now, they only need other players to follow their lead. (The Ringer)
• Joe Thornton, who has missed two weeks with an injury, is planning on joining the Sharks on an upcoming three-game road trip. (NBC Sports Bay Area)
• For the Rangers to take the next step, they need to find a player that can put the puck in the net consistently. (Forever Blue Shirts)
• Now that he’s back with Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat, Lightning forward Tyler Johnson seems to be as comfortable as he’s been in a long time. (Raw Charge)
• Now that we’re over a year removed from the Artemi Panarin for Brandon Saad swap, it’s easy to see that both teams are facing their respective issues with both players. (NBC Sports Chicago)
• Even though the Los Angeles Kings are off to a rocky start, there’s still some time for them to get their season back on the rails. (Featurd)
• A number of former NHLers, including Kelly Buchburger and Jason Smith (both former Oilers) are coaching in the Western Hockey League. There experience and expertise make them valuable additions to any junior coaching staff. (The Hockey Writers)
• Now that the season is two weeks old, it’s easy to pin-point where certain teams need help. For the Bruins, it appears as though they need to swing a deal for another forward that can chip in offensively. (NBC Sports Boston)
• The Buffalo Sabres have a trio of Swedes in the minors that are just waiting for their opportunity to help the big club in the near future. (Elite Prospects)
• Blackhawks prospect Collin Delia found out the hard way that the moorings in the minors aren’t as solid as they are in the NHL. (In Goal Mag)
• Oilers rookie defender Evan Bouchard has been solid in his first five games in the NHL, but sending him back to junior could make sense because of an upcoming expansion draft. (Oilers Nation)
• The Carolina Hurricanes are going to have to figure things out on special teams if they want to make a push for a playoff spot this season. (Section 328)
• Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov has been a consistent force on the blue line since he came into the NHL, so there’s no point in questioning him now. (NBC Sports Philly)
• Puck Junk has put together all the rookie cards of every head coach in the NHL. (Puck Junk)
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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.