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Gabriel Landeskog

Gabriel Landeskog Undergoes Knee Surgery

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While the Colorado Avalanche are trying to find the right mix for their fourth line, the top unit will also be in flux for a while. Gabriel Landeskog underwent knee surgery yesterday and will be out for “12 weeks give or take.” The team will also recall Jayson Megna from the AHL to give them another center.

Landeskog, 29, hasn’t played this season and will now miss at least three months following this new surgery. The Colorado captain is coming off another outstanding year with 30 goals and 59 points in 51 games, and a playoff performance that could have easily earned him the Conn Smythe. In 20 games en route to his first Stanley Cup championship, Landeskog scored 11 goals, and 22 points, and was the league leader in goal differential with a +15 rating.

Not only does it hurt the Avalanche to lose his offensive performance, but Landeskog is also one of the most well-rounded players in the league, adding physicality, defense, and faceoff ability to his scoring prowess. That last point is one to note, as Landeskog was often asked to take important draws despite being a winger by trade.

Most of the team’s other centers – Nathan MacKinnon, J.T. Compher, Megna, and Evan Rodrigues – are all right-handed. Landeskog’s absence (and Nazem Kadri’s offseason departure) leaves them without a reliable left-handed faceoff option. Alex Newhook is at 35% through his young career and even Darren Helm, a reliable defensive pivot, struggled in the dot last year.

It’s little things like this where Landeskog’s absence will add up, even if they can find a way to replace his offensive numbers on the top line. The team did retain Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin in the offseason but their forward depth is quickly evaporating, leaving a lot of responsibility for MacKinnon and the defense corps.

Colorado Avalanche Have “Concern” About Gabriel Landeskog, Darren Helm’s Injuries

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Speaking with reporters today, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said there’s some “concern” over lingering injuries for both captain Gabriel Landeskog and Darren Helm. Bednar added that the team still didn’t have a concrete timeline for Landeskog’s return, according to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh.

Landeskog is still dealing with a lower-body injury that plagued him last season, although he played through that injury during their Stanley Cup-winning playoff run. Bednar told reporters roughly three weeks ago now that Landeskog wouldn’t skate anytime soon and was expected to miss the start of the season.

The 29-year-old underwent knee surgery last March, which shelved him for nearly the final two months of the regular season before he returned for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Nashville Predators. At the time, Bednar indicated that his knee had been bothering him for some time, and it was an issue the team and player wanted to rectify before the playoffs started. The fact that the tone around Landeskog’s injury appears to be increasingly negative isn’t a good sign for his return to the lineup, especially when taken in relation to such a long-term knee issue.

Similarly, Helm is still recovering from an injury that he played through during the team’s playoff run, although his injury is abdominal. Bednar said last week that Helm wouldn’t be able to play for “some time” into the season. Helm re-signed with the Avalanche when free agency opened this past offseason, inking a one-year, $1.25MM contract.

 

Snapshots: Czechia, Columbus, Landeskog

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The Czech Foreign Ministry has told the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators that they will not welcome Russian-born players into the country for the Global Series games, scheduled to be held on October 7 and 8 in Prague. A report from the Associated Press confirms that a letter has been sent to the NHL explaining that visas are not to be issued to Russian players because of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

However, deputy commissioner Bill Daly has expressed “no concern” to the AP about players traveling to Czechia, and Sharks general manager Mike Grier told reporters including Corey Masisak of The Athletic that the NHL is handling the situation. Grier also explained that his position is “we all go or we don’t go,” suggesting he will not take the Sharks to Prague if Alexander Barabanov and Evgeny Svechnikov, the team’s two healthy Russian players, are not allowed to participate.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have made several changes in their hockey operations department, naming Trevor Timmins assistant director of amateur scouting, and hiring Marshall Davidson, Dale Derkatch, and Roman Polak (previously reported) as scouts. Zac Urback has been promoted to director of hockey analytics, and Mike Eaves, formerly the head coach of the Cleveland Monsters, will now serve as a pro scout.
  • Gabriel Landeskog “won’t skate anytime soon” according to Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, who told reporters including Peter Baugh of The Athletic that the captain is still dealing with an injury from last season. Landeskog is expected to miss the start of the year.

Injury Notes: Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Blue Jackets

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The Toronto Maple Leafs, while still remaining competitive with a tough schedule, have faced significant injury setbacks over the past few weeks. A mass of updates came today during a press conference with head coach Sheldon Keefe, where he revealed that forward Michael Bunting will miss the final two games of the regular season, defenseman Rasmus Sandin is likely to return for the team’s finale on Friday versus the Boston Bruins, and forward Ondrej Kase remains day-to-day with no timeline to return.

As the Maple Leafs prepare for a likely impending First Round matchup with the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, this is mostly positive news. The language surrounding Bunting’s injury wasn’t initially positive after he fell awkwardly during an April 23 game against Florida, but his prognosis has improved since then and it looks like a possibility that he could be ready for the beginning of the series. Sandin has missed over a month with a knee injury, while Kase has missed the same duration with a concussion.

  • There are some more updates on various players on a Stanley Cup contender, as the Colorado Avalanche deal with some injury issues of their own. Head coach Jared Bednar spoke to reporters today, saying that defenseman Devon Toews will return to the lineup tonight after dealing with an undisclosed injury, forward Mikko Rantanen is working toward a return on Thursday against the Nashville Predators, and captain Gabriel Landeskog won’t return until the postseason. Toews has missed just around a week and a half, but his absence cannot be understated, as he continues to be one of the most underrated defensemen in the league with 57 points in just 64 games this year (while averaging over 25 minutes per game). Meanwhile, the Colorado captain has been out since early March with a leg injury.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that both captain Boone Jenner and Sean Kuraly will miss the short remainder of the season with respective injuries. Kuraly, in his first season with Columbus, suffered a foot injury last Sunday and will miss the remaining three games. Jenner will have missed the last month and a half of the season with a back injury.

Gabriel Landeskog To Undergo Surgery, Samuel Girard To Miss A Month

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While the Avalanche had some good news today when they extended Pavel Francouz, they also got some bad news as they will be without two key players for the next little while.  The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Gabriel Landeskog is set to undergo knee surgery on Monday.  There is no firm timetable for his return but Colorado hopes to have him back for the stretch run which would take any thought of putting him on LTIR for the rest of the regular season to open up cap space off the table.

This isn’t a newly-suffered injury for Landeskog as he played in nearly 19 minutes on Thursday against Carolina before receiving a misconduct penalty in the dying seconds of regulation.  Instead, head coach Jared Bednar indicated that this is an issue that has been nagging him for a little bit and they’ve decided to get it fixed before the playoffs.  The knee problem hasn’t really held Landeskog back, however, as he has 30 goals and 29 assists in 51 games this season, good for fifth in team scoring.

Meanwhile, Peter Baugh of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that blueliner Samuel Girard will miss the next four weeks with a lower-body injury.  While that makes him LTIR-eligible as well, that’s a recovery timeline that would easily have him back by the end of the season so Colorado, who doesn’t have a lot of cap space to work with at the upcoming trade deadline, won’t get much help on that front either.

Girard’s numbers are down slightly this season although he has still managed to pick up 27 points in 56 games while logging nearly 22 minutes a night.  Kurtis MacDermid took Girard’s place in the lineup on Thursday and with the Avs having seven other blueliners on the active roster, they shouldn’t need to recall anyone from AHL Colorado to take his place on the roster.  Such a move will likely need to be made for Landeskog, however, unless they decide to shift MacDermid to the wing and put Jack Johnson back in on defense.  Either way, lineup changes are coming in advance of their game tomorrow against Calgary.

Meanwhile, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post relays that blueliner Bowen Byram participated in his first full practice today in more than two months.  He has been dealing with post-concussion symptoms so the Avs will undoubtedly be cautious when it comes to working the 20-year-old back into the lineup but if he’s able to return soon, he’d certainly help absorb the blow of Girard’s absence.

Gabriel Landeskog Enters COVID Protocol

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The Colorado Avalanche will be without their captain tonight, as Gabriel Landeskog has tested positive for coronavirus and entered the league’s COVID protocols. Landeskog’s test was confirmed today, according to head coach Jared Bednar, meaning he’ll miss at least five days. The forward is asymptomatic at this point.

Colorado takes on the Seattle Kraken this evening after their thrilling comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. The Avalanche are now 21-8-2 on the season despite starting the year 4-5-1. In fact, they are showing just why many considered them a Stanley Cup contender before the season began, routinely running up big goal numbers against every opponent. The Avalanche have scored at least four goals in 10 of their last 12 games, including 20 in their last four.

Without Landeskog, that becomes a little harder to maintain. The 29-year-old forward has been outstanding this season, scoring 14 goals and 35 points through 26 appearances. It wouldn’t be the first time he has scored at a point-per-game pace, but it’s easily the best offensive pace of his career to this point, one that already spans more than 700 games. For now, that number won’t grow any as he watches his teammates from a hotel room, isolating as he waits to test out of the protocol.

Peter Baugh of The Athletic notes that Jack Johnson and Valeri Nichushkin were both in regular sweaters at morning skate. Landeskog is currently the only Colorado player in the protocol.

Injury Notes: Shesterkin, Landeskog, Kadri

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There’s some good news for the New York Rangers coming soon. NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reports that although goalie Igor Shesterkin won’t dress tonight, he’s “making progress” after taking the ice at practice this morning. Shesterkin was classified as day-to-day after a scary-looking lower-body injury last week forced him out of the lineup and onto injured reserve. He had an impeccable .937 save percentage through 18 games this year, and should certainly still be considered a candidate for the Vezina Trophy at this point in time. Backup Alexandar Georgiev has risen to the occasion after a tough start, though, posting a save percentage above .920 in three straight Rangers wins with Shesterkin absent.

More injury notes, both from Denver:

  • Injuries continue to hold back the Avalanche in 2021-22, as head coach Jared Bednar said today that captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss roughly two weeks with a lower-body injury. All of their top trio of him, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen has missed time this season. Landeskog was a main focal point of Colorado’s offense, netting 27 points through 22 games this year. Andre Burakovsky will slot in his place alongside MacKinnon and Rantanen for the time being.
  • After missing Friday’s game with a lower-body injury, Nazem Kadri will be out again tonight but will likely be back Tuesday, according to Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater. Kadri has been the glue of this team throughout their injury troubles this year, scoring 23 assists and 34 points through just 22 games. Mikhail Maltsev, who was recalled today, will get into the lineup with Kadri’s absence.

Colorado’s Valeri Nichushkin Week-To-Week With Upper-Body Injury

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The Colorado Avalanche are being hit with the injury bug early this season, as The Athletic’s Peter Baugh reports that forward Valeri Nichushkin is sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

With the team already missing Devon Toews and Pavel Francouz from their lineup prior to the season’s start, the team’s forward core has now lost three members in the past three days. Captain Gabriel Landeskog is suspended for the next two games, Nathan MacKinnon’s season debut is on hold as he remains on COVID protocol, and it’s now apparent the Avs have lost a third top-nine forward for the time being.

The 26-year-old Nichushkin has had somewhat of a career renaissance with Colorado after a rough start with the Dallas Stars, the team that drafted him 10th overall in 2013. He’s received Selke votes in back-to-back seasons, scoring 23 goals and 48 points in 120 games from 2019 to 2021 in an Avalanche uniform. Nichushkin had one assist in 15:03 of ice time on Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche.

The team will now turn to Mikko Rantanen to carry the offensive load in the absence of MacKinnon and Landeskog. They’ll look towards forwards like Andre Burakovsky, Tyson Jost, and a pair or rookies in Alex Newhook and Sampo Ranta to increase production in depth roles to compensate for the loss of Nichushkin.

Gabriel Landeskog Suspended Two Games

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The Department of Player Safety has handed out the first suspension of the regular season, banning Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche for the next two games. Landeskog delivered a hard check to Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach in last night’s game. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that Landeskog is in control of this play. Dach is on one knee facing the wall, and is defenseless in this situation. Sliding along the ice with limited ability to evade or brace for contact. Landeskog has enough time to recognize the situation his opponent is in and rather than avoiding contact or minimizing the force of the hit, chooses to drive the vulnerable Dach into the wall with considerable force. It is the combination of the defenseless position Dach is in, the player’s dangerous distance from the boards at the time of contact, and the speed and force of the hit that caused this hit to rise to the level of supplementary discipline. 

Notably, Dach did not suffer a serious injury on the play but Landeskog does have three suspensions on his record already. Though he is no longer considered a repeat offender in terms of salary forfeiture, those suspensions are taken into account when deciding suspension length.

The team was already without Nathan MacKinnon last night, who is still in the COVID protocol after a positive test result. They now may be without both for Saturday night’s match against the St. Louis Blues. Landeskog will also miss next Tuesday’s match against the Washington Capitals.

Gabriel Landeskog To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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Just two days into the season and the Department of Player Safety has some work to do. Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will have a hearing for his hit on Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach last night.

Partway through the third period, Landeskog delivered a hard check while Dach was already down on one knee, driving him into the boards with quite a bit of force. He received a two-minute boarding penalty for the play, while also taking a roughing penalty for the scrum that occurred with Tyler Johnson immediately afterward.

Dach escaped major injury, which will help Landeskog’s case with the DoPS, but this isn’t the first time he’s been given supplementary discipline. In fact, he has been suspended on several different occasions in the past, for both dangerous hits and cross-checking in particular. Though he won’t be considered a repeat offender in terms of salary forfeiture, the league will include his entire discipline history in deciding how to punish him in this instance.

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