The Colorado Avalanche navigated through a full season without their captain Gabriel Landeskog last year. After helping the Avalanche to its third Stanley Cup in June 2022, Landeskog has not seen the ice and instead underwent a pair of surgeries to fix a nagging knee injury.

Landeskog is expected to miss the entire 2023-24 regular season, but Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland gave a promising update when asked if Colorado's captain could return during the playoffs.

“We're hoping,” MacFarland said, per Pierre LeBrun. “There's still so much that needs to be gleaned in this, so it's hard to put a timeline on it. He's about four months (into his recovery), and he's doing incredibly well.”

Landeskog has been Colorado's captain since 2012, making him the third longest-tenured captain in the NHL behind Sydney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. The fact that the Avalanche are leaving Landeskog as their captain through an expected two full seasons off the ice shows how much they respect the 30-year-old Swede.

Landeskog has 571 points in 738 career games, recording two 30-plus goal seasons. He also has 59 points in 51 playoff games, proving to be one of the most clutch players of his generation.

The Avalanche did very well without him last season, once again claiming the Central Divison crown. Their title defense ended in the first round with a seven-game loss to the Seattle Kraken.

Colorado is projected to reach the playoffs once again next season and should be a championship contender, meaning Gabriel Landeskog should get the chance to return within the year.