Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• Why Jake Gardiner hasn’t signed with a team yet. (Featurd)
• It’s been a long, strange trip for David Clarkson. (Toronto Sun)
• Ken Holland is confident that James Neal can bounce back. We’d hope so. (Sportsnet)
• NHL teams slowly learning lessons about signing aging wingers. (Yahoo Sports)
• Alberta’s premier is happy to avoid debate on a new hockey arena for the Calgary Flames. (National Post)
• Laine, Connor is now the main event in Winnipeg. (Sportsnet)
• A look at officiating in the playoffs, player safety and the failure of accountability. (Last Word on Hockey)
• Unresolved situations around the NHL that could force further trades. (The Athletic)
• Flyers must overachieve to being playoff contenders this year. (Featurd)
• The New York Islanders, and the NHL for that matter, overvalue fourth liners. (Eyes on Isles)
• The Penguins aren’t the only team worried about the salary cap. (TribLive)
• Are the Rangers ready to contend now? (ESPN)
• Is Mitch Marner’s contract impasses holding up the rest of the NHL? (The Hockey Writers)
• What happens when an NHL team goes for it... every single season. (The Athletic)
• Each Western Conference GM’s best and worst moves. (The Score)
Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck
