In a new interview with NHL.com, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar delivered some good news on the Gabriel Landeskog front.
“He’s trying to make a return here sometime near the start of the season and if that goes well, it would be a really big boost for us,” Bednar told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. “So, that’s something we’re all a little anxious about, but really excited about as well. He hasn’t played for us in two years.”
Landeskog hasn’t played an NHL game since Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final back in 2022. He missed all of the 2023 season, although it didn’t sound like that was really planned after winning the Cup. He had knee surgery early in the 2023 season and worked to come back, but never got there. That resulted in him getting cartilage transplant surgery in May of 2023, which is what he’s trying to return from now.
Lonzo Ball, who had the same surgery in March of 2023, has returned to full basketball related activities and has been scrimmaging without any restrictions lately. Landeskog is back in Denver and has been spotting skating.
In the same interview, Bednar did indicate that there’s a chance Artturi Lehkonen won’t be ready for the start of the season. Lehkonen needed surgery this off-season to repair an issue with his shoulder. As Chris MacFarland mentioned last month, Logan O’Connor is expected to be ready when the season starts after hip surgery.
With Landeskog, Lehkonen, and Valeri Nichushkin potentially all unavailable to start the season, the Avalanche might have room for some young players to break through. Guys like Nikolai Kovalenko, Jean-Luc Foudy, and Calum Ritchie should get an opportunity to play with some good players when training camp opens in a month.
Landeskog could be a big boost both on and off the ice for the Avalanche. Having missed so much time, there’s no telling what kind of player he will be when he does return, but the team has certainly missed their captain the last two seasons. I’m currently out of town but when I get back, I’ll make some visits to Family Sports and see if the captain is out there skating around.