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.
• It’s time for the New York Rangers to move Mats Zuccarello and continue their rebuild. [NY Post]
• “Making the case against the red-hot New York Islanders” [Yahoo]
• A deep playoff run for the Calgary Flames would be helped by them winning the Pacific Division. [TSN]
• Elias Pettersson is one reason why the Vancouver Canucks are fun to watch again. [Featurd]
• “When Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson body-slammed Pettersson in October and knocked him out of the lineup for six games with a concussion, the Canucks were livid, as they should have been. But it’s pretty clear the Canucks have come to the realization that their star player is going to have to get used to being abused. And Pettersson is probably coming to that realization, too.” [The Hockey News]
• Looking at the second half schedule, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be challenged every night. [Raw Charge]
• On Alex Ovechkin and why he shouldn’t be punished for skipping the 2019 NHL All-Star Game. [USA Today]
• It’s time for the Ottawa Senators to sell, sell, sell. [Faceoff Circle]
• Despite a down season for the team, Carter Hart is showing a potential bright future for the Philadelphia Flyers. [EP Rinkside]
• Philipp Grubauer or Semyon Varlamov? Which Colorado Avalanche netminder should Jared Bednar stick with? [Mile High Hockey]
• Marc Bergevin isn’t planning any short-term moves with his Montreal Canadiens roster. [Canadiens]
• Justin Abdelkader talks about the Detroit Red Wings’ rebuild and the children’s book he’s writing. [SI.com]
• The Minnesota Wild need to solve their inconsistency problem in the second half. [Star Tribune]
• Look back at Michel Therrien’s famous 2006 rant that called out the Pittsburgh Penguins’ defensive woes. [Pensburgh]
• The losing needs to stop for the Florida Panthers. [The Rat Trick]
• Finally, always be aware of Gritty:
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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.