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 league is still determining if it will wait until it’s safe and permissible for all 31 teams to start holding small-group workouts before triggering the next phase of its return-to-play protocol, or if it will allow clubs to reopen practice facilities in waves, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Monday.” [Sportsnet]
• Philip Danault on the return to play idea involving centralized locations: “Some players could be away from their families for three to four months and I think that’s way too much. I’m not the only one thinking like that, I’m sure.“I can’t make sense of it in my mind.” [TSN]
• The NHL is now selling licensed team logo face coverings to benefit Feeding America and the Food Banks Canada COVID-19 Response Fund. [NHL.com]
• The 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, a big tournament for scouts, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. [Hockey Canada]
• What’s next for the Blackhawks following the dismissal of team president John McDonough? [NBC Chicago]
• Will Alex Pietrangelo be back with the Blues next season? [Post-Dispatch]
• How college hockey helped prepare Cale Makar, Adam Fox and Quinn Hughes for the NHL. [Sporting News]
• Like teammate Zdeno Chara, David Krejci is not thinking retirement once his contract ends after next season. [NBC Sports Boston]
• How a potential flat salary cap could affect the Capitals next season. [Japers’ Rink]
• Good read on Fabian Brunnstrom’s life after the NHL. [Dallas Morning News]
• One NHL agent has an idea on altering the salary cap going forward. Learn about The Exception Player. [KO Sports]
• Finally, NHLers dish on which teammates have the smelliest equipment:
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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.