In a new interview with NHL.com, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar announced good news regarding Gabriel Landeskog.
“He’s trying to get back here at some point early in the season, and if that goes well, that would be a big boost for us,” Bednar told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. “So that’s something we’re all a little concerned about, but also very excited about. He hasn’t played for us in two years.”
Landeskog has not played in an NHL game since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2022. He missed the entire 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 on a comeback but never made it. That led to him having to undergo a cartilage transplant in May 2023, which he is now hoping to come back from.
Lonzo Ball, who underwent the same surgery in March 2023, has returned to full basketball activities and has recently participated in practice games without restrictions. Landeskog is back in Denver and has been participating in skating.
In the same interview, Bednar hinted that Artturi Lehkonen may not be ready to start the season. Lehkonen had to undergo surgery in the offseason to fix an issue with his shoulder. As Chris MacFarland mentioned last month, Logan O’Connor is expected to be ready to start the season after undergoing hip surgery.
With Landeskog, Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin potentially unavailable when the season begins, the Avalanche may have room for some young players to break through. Guys like Nikolai Kovalenko, Jean-Luc Foudy and Calum Ritchie should get a chance to play with some good players when training camp starts in a month.
Landeskog could be a great addition to the Avalanche both on and off the ice. Since he missed so much time, there’s no telling what kind of player he’ll be when he returns, but the team has definitely missed their captain the last two seasons. I’m currently out of town, but when I get back, I’ll make a few visits to Family Sports and see if the captain is out there skating.
