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 for the PHT Morning Skate? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafreniere on making his first trip to New York at some point in the future: ‘I’m excited to meet some new people and make some connections.” [NY Post]
• Quinton Byfield became the highest-drafted Black player in NHL history: “It means a lot to me, it’s something special. Being in the record books for anything is definitely super-special, especially [since] my dad and my mom didn’t play hockey or have too much knowledge about that, so kind of just growing the game together. It just shows there’s a lot of opportunity for everyone in the world that you can play every sport and be successful in it.” [NHL.com]
• Old uniforms return and a pair of top-five picks. Tuesday was a pretty good day for the Senators. [Ottawa Sun]
• Tim Stutzle is the latest NHL draft pick who developed in Germany. [Sportsnet]
• It was also a decent Round 1 for the Devils, who had three picks. [All About the Jersey]
• Marco Rossi to the Wild is a “perfect fit.” [Star Tribune]
• Who exactly is Blue Jackets first-rounder Yegor Chinakhov? [The Hockey News]
• Why Henrix Lapierre was worth the move up the draft board for the Capitals. [NBC Sports Washington]
• Max Domi on going to Columbus: “We have every little piece there is to win. We just have to find a way to string it together. This team has come very, very close in the past couple of years to doing something special, and I’m excited to help any way I can.” [Blue Jackets]
• How does Josh Anderson’s acquisition impact the Canadiens’ forward group? [Habs Eyes on the Prize]
• Andreas Athanasiou and Matt Benning did not receive qualifying offers from the Oilers and will now become UFAs. [Oilers Nation]
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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.