Gabriel Landeskog’s return timeline remains unknown and more unclear after head coach Jared Bednar said the captain shifted his rehabilitation.
Bednar spoke about the latest on his elite forward on Altitude Radio Wednesday morning and elaborated on the topic after practice. A social media tweet from a former Avalanche writer stated trusted sources said that Landeskog had a “significant” setback, but Bednar did not confirm that specific statement.
“Setback could be fair — they just changed his course of attack for a little bit because of the way he was feeling. I don’t think there was any one thing that happened or something where he just, like major changes to it. But he’s been on the ice and off the ice, there’s no timeline … ,” Bednar said on the radio show. “It’s just a change of course, I wouldn’t call it major setback or anything.”
How Important Is Artturi Lehkonen’s Return For Avalanche
Artturi Lehkonen’s return Tuesday boosted the Avalanche and shifted the momentum of the team. The anticipation of Valeri Nichushkin’s return added to that energy. The team has managed a 6-7-0 start to the season missing key players and Bednar said Landeskog is still expected to return this season.
“There’s ups and downs throughout the course of his rehab, especially now when he’s feeling better and getting closer to play,” Bednar said after an optional practice on Wednesday. “He’s pushing himself into different areas and sometimes he reacts well and moves on to the next thing and then the next thing might not feel great for him. I don’t think it’s anything unexpected.”
Landeskog missed the last two seasons due to a knee injury which led to cartilage transplant surgery in early May of 2023. A year and a half later, we’re still waiting for him to get back in the lineup.
Unfortunately there is no way to gauge when the 31-year-old forward will make his comeback because it is an unprecedented surgery for a professional hockey player. Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball underwent the same surgery as Landeskog just two months before him and started this NBA season.
According to the Chicago Times, Ball “was averaging 4.7 points and 3.7 assists in 15.7 minutes off the bench” in the first three games he played. Unfortunately he suffered a wrist injury and will be out for a bit, but it is encouraging that he produced well in his first three games back after missing two seasons.
No one should expect Landeskog in the lineup anytime soon but Bednar and the organization’s plan to have him back sometime this season makes a statement.