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.
• Will Connor McDavid ever escape Edmonton and their perpetual rebuild? (The Ringer)
• The mess that the Edmonton Oilers have become starts at the top (Spector’s Hockey)
• Take it with however many grains of salt you want, but Bob Nicholson is promising to get it right this time in Edmonton (Edmonton Sun)
• A look at the longest losing streaks from recent back-to-back Stanley Cup champs (Nova Caps)
• Puck and player tracking is coming, and it’s going to transform how we understand the game (Russian Machine Never Breaks)
• A look at the puck and player tracking trial run at the NHL All-Star Game this past weekend (NHL.com)
• More time on the overtime clock? Perhaps it’s time (TSN)
• Should the Arizona Coyotes push for Lord Stanley this season? (Five for Howling)
• The bargain bin: six players who could provide good value at the trade deadline (Sportsnet)
• An inside look at Jack Hughes, the top NHL draft prospect Flyers fans are craving (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
• Elias Pettersson has thrown a wrench in the Canucks’ rebuild plans. A good wrench (The Province)
• That Patrick Marleau jersey Auston Matthews donned for the All-Star Skills? Yeah, you could own it and help out a charity at the same time (NHL.com)
• The week off for the sliding Buffalo Sabres probably couldn’t have come at a better time. They now feel refreshed (Times-Herald)
• How Dylan Sikura is dealing with NHL growing pains and rediscovering his confidence (NBC Sports Chicago)
• Fresh of a 6-3 defeat on Monday to the New Jersey Devils, PHT’s Adam Gretz imagines the Penguins’ defense with a healthy Justin Schultz (Pensburgh)
• What do the stats say? Why, they say the Vegas Golden Knights have a top-5 defense of course (Sin.Bin Vegas)
• The Bruins return from their mandated week off on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets. Here are a few burning questions concerning the Bs (Bruins Daily)
• The decision to send Tyson Jost to the minors appears to be paying off (Mile High Hockey)
• Vincent Lecavalier taken to hospital after Florida pileup (Tampa Bay Times)
• Here’s a list of 10 venues that should host an NHL All-Star Game (Puck Prose)
• Barry Trotz is a good dude:
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