Apr. 11th: According to a team announcement, Landeskog has officially entered the Eagles’ lineup for tonight’s contest. It will be his first professional hockey game since June 26, 2022.
Apr. 9th: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog could finally be in line to play his first professional hockey in three years. The team announced they’ve loaned him to AHL Colorado on an LTIR conditioning loan that will likely last the remainder of the regular season.
The playoff-bound Eagles have five games remaining on their regular-season schedule. Landeskog can play in three of them as part of his conditioning assignment before Colorado must recall him to the NHL roster and decide whether to activate him from long-term injured reserve. They have a back-to-back against the Henderson Silver Knights on Friday and Saturday, either of which could mark Landeskog’s return to game action for the first time since hoisting the Stanley Cup on June 26, 2022. He’ll practice with the Eagles today before the organization decides whether he’ll actually suit up, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.
If he can get through a couple of games without incident, Landeskog could make his return to the NHL when they kick off their first-round playoff series, either against the Jets or Stars, in a week and a half. The 32-year-old has ramped up his participation in practice over the last couple of months since undergoing a cartilage transplant in his right knee in May 2023, the latest of multiple surgeries to address lingering side effects from a skate cut to his leg in the 2020 bubble.
Head coach Jared Bednar hinted at the possibility of a conditioning stint in the AHL for Landeskog, who’s never seen a minor-league assignment since being selected second overall by the Avs in the 2011 draft, on Monday. If he suits up for the Eagles, it will mark his first league action for a non-Avalanche team since he appeared for Sweden’s Djurgårdens IF in the 2012 lockout.
Expectations will still be reserved for the nine-time 20-goal scorer. Regardless of the on-ice impact he has, managing to continue his NHL career at all after missing so much time is one of the more remarkable accomplishments in recent league history. Announced as the Avs’ Masterton Trophy nominee today for understandable reasons, he’s likely a shoo-in for the honor if he’s able to lace up the skates in the postseason.
In a best-case scenario, Landeskog will add even more forward depth to a Colorado roster retooled on the fly by general manager Chris MacFarland this season. Out is star winger Mikko Rantanen, but their depth lines have improved dramatically, with Charlie Coyle, Jack Drury, Martin Nečas, and Brock Nelson now in the mix.
Image courtesy of Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports.
If you don’t play a single game during the regular season, you shouldn’t be able to play in the playoffs.
Stars fan?
@zaava. He hasn’t played in three years. It’s not circumventing the rules when you been out that long.
Please provide one logical reason to support you rule.
Yeah, the Avs have had to deal with his cap for three freaking years including not even putting him on LTIR all of last season and most of this one but they’re definitely gaming the system. But first they’re going to send him to Loveland to see how his knee deals with playing an actual game after three years and two surgeries, one of which an NHL player has never come back from and has only been tried on one other player. But it’s all part of their sneaky plan. They probably came up with the whole thing in June of ’22. Let’s play three seasons with 7 million less in salary to work with than other teams so we can be over the cap in the ’25 playoffs.and have Landeskog play at unknown strength. Right
Freaking clown.
It seems to me this is the make or break frame on
Gabriel Landeskog’s career. If he can or can’t pass it in the AHL will dictate his hockey career.
Guys been off for three years lol it’s more about seeing if his knee is going to hold up or not. Then they will look at his actual performance.
@alcameron. They might want to have him shoot from the point. I’ll be worried about his skating with his knees.
I know how long he’s been out lol but you obviously missed my point. Who said anything about performance? I never did. You shouldn’t make baseless assumptions.
He said something about performance. Who said it matters whether you said it?
“If he can or can’t pass it in the ahl” sure seems like it’s based on performance to me
Somehow logic seems to escape this fellow
@Kevin F – because his remark was about my comment you fool. I guess you can’t comprehend what you read, you buffoon. Stop trolling me.
@alcameron – no, that phrase can be used to see if his knee is capable of withstanding to play in-game action. His hockey performance is not really relevant to whether his knee is capable or not of playing. Those are two different things.
Calm down ladies.
Thanks for letting me know its getting to you.
Obviously this knucklehead isn’t a fan of either Vegas or Tampa?!
Would be cool to see him make it all the way back. Not an Avs fan but itd be a heck of a story if he contributes to a run.