Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from the NHL and around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• A look at the top 50 free agents who could hit the market at some point in the next few months. [TSN]
• Which UFA moments have defined the NHL’s salary-cap era? [Sportsnet]
• Ryan O’Reilly is up for the “unique” challenge of helping the Blues defend their Stanley Cup title. [NHL.com]
• “There are health risks for the players who will be quarantined in hub cities for the Stanley Cup playoffs, but their concerns don’t end there. It’s possible the players will be paying for the lost revenues caused by COVID-19 for years.” [The Hockey News]
• On players potentially opting out of playing if the NHL resumes this summer. [NBC Sports Washington]
• It’s not looking good for Alexander Romanov, Kirill Kaprizov, and Ilya Sorokin in their attempts to play this season. [Hockey Wilderness]
• The NHL should thank college hockey for producing so many impactful young defensemen. [Grand Forks Herald]
• What Alexis Lafreniere would mean to the Blackhawks. [NBC Sports Chicago]
• Why Shane Doan should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. [Five for Howling]
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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.