DENVER (AP) — It’s becoming clearer and clearer that Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog may miss a third straight regular season.
What’s becoming murkier is if he can give it a go come playoff time — or even at all.
A lingering right knee injury has kept Landeskog from suiting up for Colorado since June 26, 2022, when he helped the Avalanche claim the Stanley Cup with a Game 6 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He underwent a cartilage transplant procedure on May 10, 2023, and has been on long-term injured reserve.
“He's grinding. He's doing everything he can. I didn’t think June 26, 2022, the injury would be three years,” Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said Monday as he talked about the recent trade that landed Colorado defenseman Ryan Lindgren and forward Jimmy Vesey from the New York Rangers. “There’s no playbook for this. We’ll just continue to chip away at it."
Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball underwent a cartilage transplant in March 2023. He returned to the court for a preseason game in October, which offered a hopeful glimpse of a possible timeline for Landeskog's return.
Landeskog has shown up on the ice every so often with the Avalanche, going through some light skating and puck-handling drills. But he hasn't been practicing with the team as they gear up for a playoff push, and MacFarland doesn’t anticipate that changing anytime soon.
“I think you guys can figure out where this is kind of going,” MacFarland said. “Hopefully it’ll keep going well.”
MacFarland isn’t closing the door on Landeskog — now or down the road.
“There’s a chance,” he said. “Obviously, I can’t predict the future, but he continues to rehab.
“He’s an unreal hockey player. I can’t even imagine how he’s dealt with this, day in, day out. ... For me, I hope it’s going to happen for him.”
Landeskog was the second overall pick by the Avalanche in the 2011 draft. Despite missing three seasons, he's still in the franchise’s top-10 in goals (248), assists (323), games played (738), blocked shots (534) and hits (1,464).
The 32-year-old Landeskog is in his 13th season wearing the “C” for the Avalanche, which makes him the third-longest serving captain in the NHL behind Sidney Crosby (18th season) and Alex Ovechkin (16th).
With Landeskog on LTIR, the team can use his $7 million of his salary’s worth as an exemption on the cap. It could come in play when the Avalanche try to make moves ahead of Friday's trade deadline.
Landeskog still has four seasons left after this one on an 8-year, $56 million deal he signed in 2021.
“Everything we do is with the hope that he’s going to play hockey again," MacFarland said. "The hockey world wants to see it. You want to see him get back out there and see how he can do. I think everybody’s behind him.”
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