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PHT Morning Skate: Rask on leaving Bruins bubble; McDavid vs. all-time greats

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The wait is finally over. Puck drops for the 2021 NHL season January 13 on NBC.

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.

Tuukka Rask on Bruins playoff departure, and other links

• Let’s be honest, criticizing Tuukka Rask for leaving the Bruins’ playoff bubble for family reasons never seemed wise. But, when you realize how serious it seems (Rask noted: “they had to call an ambulance”), the responses seem even worse. Story via PHT’s Adam Gretz. [NBC Sports Boston]

(You can also see Rask discussing leaving the Bruins’ playoff bubble in the video above.)

• Sure, the Blue Jackets signed Pierre-Luc Dubois -- for the short term. Reports indicate that it’s merely a Band-Aid, and that Dubois might want out of Columbus. Can this situation be salvaged, unlike certain previous Blue Jackets, such as Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky? [SI/The Hockey News]

• Through the first five years of his career, Connor McDavid justified the hype. As much as McDavid is competing with his peers, he’s also battling history. At least when it comes to his “legacy.” So how does he stack up against the greats so far? [The Score]

• We’re getting closer to the NWHL season, which will culminate in the 2021 Isobel Cup Semifinals and Final airing live on NBCSN. With that in mind, here are some storylines to follow. [The Ice Garden]

• Speaking of the NWHL, PHT’s Marisa Ingemi goes inside the making of The Toronto Six. [The Toronto Star]

• While recovering from concussion issues, Andrew Shaw admitted that he considered retirement. In doing so, Shaw cemented the thought that he has life outside of hockey. He just wants to play while he still can -- but not play scared. [NBC Sports Chicago]

• Following John Marino’s lengthy contract extension, the Penguins boast one of the most expensive defensive corps in the NHL. Are they getting their money’s worth? [Pensburgh]

• Here is the updated NHL on NBC TV schedule with newly announced start times by the NHL. [PHT]

• Reverse Retro Jerseys and ads on helmets landed on Hockey By Design’s Top 5 worst designs of 2020. Although shouldn’t that be the bottom five of 2020? Anyway, I’ll be quiet. [Hockey By Design]

• Interesting stuff on how the Calgary Flames could provide quality fodder for the Seattle Kraken. Could the Kraken scoop up an aging Mark Giordano? Would it be worth Calgary’s while to do a side deal to avoid that? Mikael Backlund looms as another possible player to poach. [Sound of Hockey]

• Paul Maurice believes that the North Division could give Mark Scheifele a chance to shine in the spotlight. [Sportsnet]

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.