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.
• Andrei Markov eyeing NHL return. (Sportsnet)
• Reigning Calder winner Elias Pettersson to grace the cover of NHL 20 in native Sweden. (The Province)
• Patrik Laine, meanwhile, will be on Finland’s cover for the second straight year, becoming the first player to ever appear on a cover in two consecutive years. (Winnipeg Sun)
• Sidney Crosby was an open book for the guys on the Spitting Chiclets podcast. (Sportsnet)
• Mike Babcock is doing it again. (Editor in Leaf)
• Jarmo Kekalainen says Zach Werenski expected to sign prior to the opening of training camp. (NHL.com)
• All eyes on how Ron Francis builds his analytics department. (Seattle Times)
• Seattle’s NHL owners want to weed out ticket brokers from acquiring large amounts of tickets. (KING5 News)
• Pierre Dorion is bullish on the Senators’ upcoming season. (Sportsnet)
• Is Laine poised to bounce back in 2019-20? (Sporting News)
• WAR. What is it good for? Projecting the 2019-20 standings, of course. (The Athletic)
• Few remaining NHL free agents are worth signing, but there is value out there. (Yahoo Sports)
• NHL ref Wes McCauley of South Portland to be honored at Mariners game. (Portland Press Herald)
• Sabres blue line is a story of potential vs. reality. (Die by the Blade)
MORE:
• ProHockeyTalk’s 2019 NHL free agency tracker
• Your 2019-20 NHL on NBC TV schedule
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