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.
• There have been a number of NHL games rescheduled this season. That means there will be a schedule crunch down the stretch for some teams. [TSN]
• “The American Hockey League and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association today announced the ratification of modified terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the 2020-21 season. The agreement, which governs the 2020-21 season only, has been ratified by both the AHL’s Board of Governors and AHL players.” [AHL]
• The Connecticut Whale have withdrawn from the 2021 NWHL Isbobel Cup tournament. [The Ice Garden]
• Sam Bennett agents says his client would like a change of scenery. The Flames say a trade has not been requested. [Sportsnet]
• What would it look like if the next Penguins GM decides to blow up the roster? [Spector’s Hockey]
• A lower-body injury has put Wild defenseman Matt Dumba on IR. His return is unknown, according to head coach Dean Evason. [NHL.com]
• Nick Bjugstad of the Wild is $5,000 poorer after he was fined for cross-checking Ryan Graves of the Avalanche. [NHL.com]
• The Blue Jackets remain in search of consistency on both ends of the ice. [1st Ohio Battery]
• Alex Chiasson has been waived by the Oilers. [Oilers Nation]
• “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get a good read on where things stand for this hockey team. Obviously they are terrible. You don’t just reel off eight losses in a row to start the season by accident. But it’s tough to know exactly how bad they’ve really been through this dreadful stretch. And that’s primarily because their goaltending continues to struggle on a level we haven’t really seen before.” [SensChirp]
• “Former Edmonton Oilers captain Mark Messier is suing an Edmonton businessman, alleging he lost more than half a million dollars in an Alberta cannabis company investment.” [CTV]
• Ranking the NHL’s best players of the age of 32. [Rotoworld]
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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.