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.
• Don’t be surprised if the elite women’s hockey 3-on-3 ends up being the best part of the 2020 NHL All-Star Game. (Tampa Bay Times)
• Solving the mystery of Connor McDavid’s knee injury. (Edmonton Journal)
• Arguing in favor of the Penguins being aggressive and making a trade to improve their supporting cast. Sidney Crosby is 32, while Evgeni Malkin is 33. Kris Letang is also 32. You never know when your championship window is truly going to close, so why not go for it? (Pensburgh)
• What the Maple Leafs can learn from the hated Bruins. (The Star)
• Could the Jets’ slippage cost Paul Maurice his job? The fellow is basically a coaching vampire, so I’ll believe it when I see it. (National Post)
• Rick Tocchet feels like most of us about replacing Gerard Gallant as Pacific All-Star coach because the latter was fired: weird. (Ottawa Sun)
• Justin Williams exceeded expectations during his return to the Hurricanes. (Charlotte News & Observer)
• Comparing Alex Ovechkin’s remarkable 2019-20 season to his other best sniping years. He’s basically a Terminator robot on skates ... right down to some good one-liners. (Japers’ Rink)
• Which forwards should the Ducks look to trade? I agree with Jake Rudolph that trading Ryan Getzlaf would be wise, and also agree that getting Getzlaf to sign off on a trade is a whole other ballgame. (Anaheim Calling)
• Gus Katsaros explores why the Islanders haven’t drawn many penalties. (Rotoworld)
• The Blues are showing off impressive depth during what’s been a strong title defense so far. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
• Larry Brooks argues that a lack of urgency might submarine the Rangers’ playoff hopes. Personally, I think “rarely having the puck” and “being bad at defense” rank higher on their list of worries. (New York Post)
• Breaking down the coaching job Alain Vigneault is pulling off with the Philadelphia Flyers. (NBC Sports Philadelphia)
• Can the Coyotes use the All-Star break to regroup? They’ve slipped a bit lately. (Five for Howling)
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.