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.
• How will NHL teams try to mimic the playing style of the Avalanche going forward? [Sportsnet]
• Did we just witness the best Avalanche team in franchise history? [Colorado Hockey Now]
• “Even with free agent questions, Avalanche are built to last” [PHT]
• “All the Lightning’s experience — 71 postseason games the past three seasons — wasn’t enough to climb out of a 3-2 series hole. The Lightning ultimately fell two wins short of lifting the Stanley Cup for three straight seasons — just shy of etching their own legacy as the first team to accomplish such championship supremacy in the salary cap era and overall since the Islanders claimed four straight titles to open the 1980s.” [Tampa Bay Times]
• Barry Trotz on why he turned down the Jets head coaching job: “I’ve got some things personally that I’ve got to take care of, family-wise that I’ve got to take care of. I didn’t feel… if I’d said I’ll take the job, I think I would have done any team a little bit of a disservice and myself a disservice because to be a coach in the NHL, it is demanding and it requires your all. It just does, emotionally it just does, mentally it just does. So I couldn’t go down that path.” [NHL.com]
When you see it... 🙈🙊 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/93EigCbAWC
— NHL (@NHL) June 27, 2022
• Tuukka Rask is enjoying the retired life: “I’m just happy to interact with the fans without… the BS. You guys don’t have to chirp me [and] I don’t have to keep my guard up all the time. So it’s actually fun. The people are great. I’m looking forward to that: just being around and hanging out, and being part of the community.” [98.5 The Sportshub]
• Sounds like Patrice Bergeron is leaning towards playing another year. How does that affect GM Don Sweeney’s plans? [Bruins Daily]
• The Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, are your 2021-22 Calder Cup champions. [AHL]
• Pondering the future and GM Brad Treliving’s next moves if the Flames end up not re-signing Johnny Gaudreau. [Flames Nation]
• Which offseason coaching hire will have the biggest impact on his team? [Daily Faceoff]
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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.