Landeskog's status 'something to keep an eye' ahead of playoffs
Published
As the Colorado Avalanche continue their playoff push, it appears possible the team could get captain Gabriel Landeskog back in the postseason.
Sidelined since winning the Stanley Cup with the team in 2022, Landeskog resumed skating in January as he recovers from two separate knee surgeries.
"It certainly doesn’t sound like he’s close, but one thing that rival teams have taken note of is that Gabriel Landeskog has become a regular participant in skates in Denver," TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun explained on Insider Trading. "Look, he’s working his way back from a significant knee surgery last May. This has been a really long-term process. He hasn’t played since the night they won the Stanley Cup in Tampa back in 2022.
"But it hasn’t been ruled out, I would say that Landeskog will not be back. The Avalanche are obviously going to do right by him, they have a long-term investment in him, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on here as we get into the playoffs and Colorado looks at bolstering its lineup."
Landeskog was initially ruled out for the early part of the 2022-23 season after he underwent a procedure prior to the team's first game. It was then announced in May of last year that he would undergo cartilage replacement surgery and miss the entire 2023-24 season.
The 31-year-old forward posted 30 goals and 59 points in 51 games during the 2021-22 season, adding 11 goals and 22 points in 20 playoff games during the Stanley Cup run. The Stockholm, Sweden, native has 248 goals and 571 points in 738 career games.
Landeskog has five seasons remaining after this one on an eight-year, $56 million deal signed with the team in 2021. The deal carries a cap hit of $7 million, which is currently shelved on long-term injured reserve.
Selected second overall by the Avalanche in the 2011 draft, he was named captain as a 19-year-old in September of 2012.