Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog hasn't played a single game since he led his squad to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, triumphing over the Tampa Bay Lightning in a six-game thriller. And he's been sorely missed, with the Avs bowing out in back-to-back postseasons since; a shocking Round 1 exit to the Seattle Kraken last year was followed up by a six-game loss to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference second-round this playoff.
The Avalanche just aren't the same team without Landeskog, and his extended absence has been a continued obstacle for this club. And although there have been rumors that the Swede might retire, the 31-year-old is hoping to return to the lineup in 2024-25.
“Between mid-September and start of April,” said the former No. 2 overall pick on Thursday, according to NHL.com's Ryan Boulding. That obviously encapsulates the entire campaign, but it's nice to see that the captain is hoping to play again for Colorado at some point.
“I've felt really good now for two straight months physically, with no setbacks, major or minor,” he added. “That's a real positive. Without sharing too much, obviously it's a bumpy road and I knew that coming into it, but I didn't realize how hard it was going to be. Especially when you do hit those bumps, when you do get set back and all of the sudden you're off the ice for a month when you think you’re actually going to be ramping it up.
“There's no point in me setting a timeline or set even a benchmark, for July 1 I want to go game speed, or Aug. 1 I want to be able to do a bag skate, or whatever that might be. You're just setting yourself up to be disappointed and [ticked] off when doesn't happen.”
It's been a really rough two years for Landeskog, who missed the entire 2022-23 season after the Avs won the Stanley Cup. He was expected to be healthy for this season, but instead had cartilage transplant surgery back in May of 2023. That's after he already had quad surgery in 2020, along with two knee surgeries. He was only supposed to miss 12 weeks on initial diagnosis, per Boulding, and the timeline has just continued to get away.
Avalanche are not the same without Landeskog in the postseason
The Avalanche have learned over the past two seasons that having a deep group of centremen in the playoffs is absolutely crucial. Without Landeskog and Nazem Kadri, who were both instrumental in the 2022 Stanley Cup run, Colorado's offensive depth has struggled.
The fact Landeskog wants to return is an excellent sign, but after over two years off, it's hard to know what kind of player he will be when he returns. Still, he's got the full support of the front office as the knee rehab continues.
“His injury has been challenging in a lot of ways but not more challenging that what he's going through,” said general manager Chris MacFarland, per Boulding.
“He loves the game. He's a massive cog in what we're trying to do and he's earned the right to have as much time as it takes to get back on the ice. We'll stay in touch with Gabe and continue to pull for him and see where he's at and glean more information. Definitely hopeful and we'll be 100 percent behind him, whether it's September, October, November, whenever that day is, we'll be super excited to see it.”
Although Landeskog admitted he “felt pretty close at times” to returning, that never materialized for a player who hasn't skated in more than 54 games in a full NHL campaign since 2018-19.
His postseason resume of 27 goals and 67 points in 69 contests speaks for itself, and it's easy to wonder if the Avalanche have what it takes to win another championship without the captain.
It'll be intriguing to see if Landeskog gets back into the Avalanche lineup next season, and more importantly, if he'll be an option for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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