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.
• Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher talks about the Alain Vigneault firing and why now was the time to do it. [NBC Sports Philadelphia]
• On the changes in Vancouver: “The owner said ‘everything is on the table.’ He said he hasn’t spoken recently to former Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin and, when pressed, wouldn’t rule out bringing back a former employee – such as ex-GM Mike Gillis, whose advocates in the media-analytics community seem to outnumber his advocates around the NHL since Gillis has been without a major title in hockey the last seven years.” [Sportsnet]
• An ominous sign if there ever was one: “Dog takes dump at center ice, creates metaphor for Flyers season” [Broad Street Hockey]
• How Matt Duchene turned around his fortunes and started excelling with the Predators. [ESPN]
• Jake Guentzel is on a roll for the Penguins and played himself into the conversation about the NHL’s best wingers. [Pensburgh]
• Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme says to not expect Carey Price back before Christmas. [Montreal Gazette]
Sergei Fedorov does it again! CSKA pulls goalie in OT and wins it in 2nd straight game! pic.twitter.com/Nt6eLyHCNM
— KHL (@khl_eng) December 6, 2021
• Great read on Capitals’ forward Evgeny Kuznetsov and his bounce-back season. [Washington Hockey Now]
• Why Michael Bunting of the Maple Leafs is the NHL’s best value player. [Editor in Leaf]
• Slow starts to games are hurting the Oilers this season. [Oilers Nation]
• Owen Power is having a Hobey Baker-type year at Michigan and that should excite Sabres fans for the future. [Die by the Blade]
————
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.