The Colorado Avalanche announced Thursday that captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss the entirety of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Landeskog has not played at all this season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery last October.

The defending Stanley Cup champions haven't missed a beat without their captain this season. The Avalanche have 105 points with two games left in the regular season and are red-hot heading into the playoffs. They've won 14 of their last 17 games and have at least a point in six straight.

Landeskog was key to Colorado's cup run last season. He underwent knee surgery last March but was able to recover in time for the playoffs. In 20 postseason games, Landeskog had 22 points.

It must be a crushing blow to Landeskog who was originally slated to miss just 12 weeks following surgery. A lingering injury is never easy to deal with and chances are that his knee could hamper him during next season and beyond. A career Avalanche, Landeskog averaged 26 goals and 58 points per season since 2017.

The Avalanche look poised for another run at the Stanley Cup this season without Landeskog. They still have a chance to grab one of the top two seeds in the Western Conference with a chance at home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

Playing without a captain can be tricky for some teams, but the Avalanche boasts one of the most talented and balanced rosters in the league. It has to sting for Gabriel Landeskog and his teammates that he won't be sharing the ice with them during their title defense, but Colorado has a chance to go back-to-back without their on-ice leader.