The Colorado Avalanche are gearing up for another run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. General manager Chris MacFarland added major pieces at the NHL Trade Deadline to aid in that effort. However, his biggest addition may not come through trade. Colorado's biggest addition could simply be getting captain Gabriel Landeskog back on the ice.
However, getting Landeskog back on the ice is not a simple task in the slightest. MacFarland acknowledged as such in a recent Q&A he did with NHL.com. The Avalanche general manager said he truly does not know when his captain will be able to take the ice once again.
“There's no rationale response to our captain being out for two full years. The last hockey game he played was the night we were fortunate to win the Cup,” MacFarland said, via NHL.com. “I wish I could say we were dealing with a 4–6-week injury and at six weeks you know he's going to be back. This is not that and it hasn't been that.”
Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog is still recovering from injury
Gabriel Landeskog has not played in an NHL game since June 26, 2022. That night, the Avalanche captain recorded an assist as his team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup. Landeskog has struggled with injury prior to this latest situation. In fact, you'd have to go back to 2018-19 to find a season in which he played more than 54 games.
The Colorado star had two different knee surgeries in 2022. First in March and then again in October. Landeskog missed all of the 2022-23 NHL season as a result. The Avalanche won the Central Division in their first year without their captain. However, they suffered a first-round defeat at the hands of the Seattle Kraken.
Avalanche fans then received the news that Landeskog would also miss the 2023-24 NHL season. In recent weeks, though, speculation has run rampant about a potential return in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His return could be a major spark for Colorado as they seek to avenge their early playoff exit from a year ago.
Gabriel Landeskog return outlook for Avalanche
Make no mistake about it, the Avalanche want their captain back in the fold. However, Gabriel Landeskog is not necessarily going anywhere. The Colorado captain signed an eight-year contract extension back in July 2021. As a result, the team will take their time with the 31-year-old star.
“He misses it and it's something he's working hard for every single day, but we have a significant amount of term left with Gabe so we're going to do and he's going to do what's in the best interest of him long term, not to try and hurry back,” Chris MacFarland told NHL.com in his recent Q&A.
Landeskog means a lot to the Avalanche organization. And his return would certainly give them the best possible chance at winning the Stanley Cup. However, this is a complicated situation with no true timetable or concrete answer to give. “There are more unknowns than knowns at this point. I certainly have never dealt with this situation in 23 years,” MacFarland said, via NHL.com.
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