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PHT Morning Skate: Avs targeting Sunday MacKinnon return; Olympic prospects to watch

MacKinnon

DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 03: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Ball Arena on November 03, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

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.

• Nathan MacKinnon and the Avs are targeting a Sunday return for the superstar forward. MacKinnon suffered a concussion and facial fracture following a collision with Taylor Hall of the Bruins last month. [NHL.com]

• Kent Hughes has got himself quite a mess to clean up in Montreal. [Sportsnet]

• U.S. defenseman Jake Sanderson has cleared COVID-19 protocol and will head to Beijing on Wednesday. [Grand Forks Herald]

• Which NHL prospects should you be keeping an eye on as the men’s Olympic tournament gets under way? [NBC Sports Edge]

• The U.S. women will take on Czechia in the Olympic quarterfinals on Thursday at 11:10 p.m. ET (USA Network, Peacock). [The Ice Garden]

• Former Edmonton Oilers winger Anton Slepyshev scored the only goal as ROC blanked Switzerland 1-0 in the opening game of the men’s Olympic tournament. [NBC Olympics]

• Johnny Gaudreau’s past might well play a role in his future with the Flames. [Flames Nation]

• Why Ducks defenseman Jamie Drysdale would be better served with some time in the AHL. [Crashing the Pond]

• Scott Niedermayer has joined the Ducks front office as a special advisor. [NHL.com]

• Big Rig is staying in Tampa Bay as Patrick Maroon has signed a two-year, $2 million extension with the Lightning. [Lightning]

• What would a potential Matt Dumba trade look like for the Wild? [Zone Coverage]

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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.