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.
• Catch up on the weekend’s action (busy Saturday, only Canucks - Capitals on Sunday) around the NHL with PHT’s Rink Wraps. [Saturday, Sunday]
• Golden Knights owner Bill Foley told Vegas Hockey Hotline that Jack Eichel could return in a “few weeks.” Will a ton of money on IR/LTIR allow the Golden Knights to bring Jack Eichel in seamlessly? Foley admitted Vegas might have to make some adjustments, but a lot of that seems TBD. [NHL.com]
• Jeff Marek reports that the Stars are “ramping up” their efforts to trade John Klingberg. Klingberg recently expressed his frustration with slow contract negotiations. [Jeff Marek on Twitter]
• Monday (right before midnight) is your last chance to vote for the “Last Men In” for the 2022 NHL All-Star Game. You can do that here. Meanwhile, PHT took a look at All-Star Game snubs, and who would be the best “Last Men In” picks. [PHT]
• Last week, The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn unveiled his revamped player cards, with a nifty look inspired by hockey cards. Great stuff, and I always have time for eye-friendly ways to make “fancy stats” easier to digest. [The Athletic, sub required]
• Perhaps people expected too much when tabbing Cole Caufield as a Calder Trophy candidate. But, seriously, just one goal in 26 games this season? Who expected that? EP Rinkside’s David St-Louis goes really deep on Caufield’s scoring struggles, noting reasons to breathe easier but also problems to work on. [EP Rinkside, sub required]
• Which NHL teams really have a chance to make the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs? [PHT]
• Matt Drake asks: “can we get rid of fights after clean hits?” An especially nuanced take, as this is more about officials handling them than players reacting. (Can’t really ask players to somehow determine a clean vs. dirty hit in the heat of the moment, after all.) [Habs Eyes on the Prize]
• On Sunday, PHT weighed in on the slumping Edmonton Oilers. Here is Mark Spector’s latest on the troubled team. [Sportsnet]
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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.
