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.
• The Ottawa Senators didn’t need an overpaid Erik Karlsson. (Toronto Sun)
• The New York Rangers have accelerated their rebuild by acquiring Jacob Trouba. (USA Today)
• The Anaheim Ducks have confidence that Dallas Eakins can make an impact in his second go-around as an NHL head coach. (Los Angeles Times)
• Things cap-crunched NHL GMs don’t need to hear: The cap could come in under the projected $83 million this year. (TSN.ca)
• A re-tooling of the NHL’s Metropolitan Division teams. (The Score)
• Phil Kessel doesn’t want to be a Minnesota Wild, so he’s likely staying in Pittsburgh now. (CBC)
• How is Marc Bergevin going to improve the Montreal Canadiens? (Montreal Gazette)
• Five teams who should trade for Nikolaj Ehlers. (Puck Prose)
• Alex Trebek and John Hamm will be among the presenters at the 2019 NHL Awards later this week. (NHL.com)
• Pierre Dorion expects a busy weekend at the NHL Draft. (Ottawa Sun)
• Here’s how the Detroit Red Wings owned the 1989 NHL Draft. (Detroit Free Press)
• An NHL draft prospect at the 2010 combine was asked about defecating on a car. (Yahoo Sports)
• Potential sweeteners for the most unenviable trade. (The Canuck Way)
• The Blues could inspire some weird decisions this summer. (Yahoo Sports)
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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