Gabriel Landeskog Injury Update: Colorado Avalanche GM shares latest on captain's return

Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland provided a crucial injury update on the "Daily Faceoff", indicating that captain Gabriel Landeskog might make a comeback during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Landeskog was a key figure in the Avalanche's 2022 championship core and has been sidelined due to consecutive offseason knee surgeries since the team's last Stanley Cup triumph in June 2022.

The Colorado Avalanche GM expressed optimism about Gabriel Landeskog's potential return. The captain's absence has been keenly felt, with the Avs struggling to find suitable forwards to complement the star-studded lineup of Nathan MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen and Mikko Rantanen:

“Gabe Landeskog is a special player … the things that Gabe does are not readily available and we really miss this player,” MacFarland said. “I’m just hopeful that he can continue his career [this Spring] if we’re fortunate enough.”

The team has experimented with various combinations in the absence of key championship pieces like Landeskog and J.T. Compher, who is now with the Detroit Red Wings. Acquiring veterans like Ryan Johansen and Jonathan Drouin, along with placing confidence in Ross Colton, has given mixed results for the Avalanche.

Jared Bednar sheds light on Gabriel Landeskog's possible return after first skate in nearly 2 seasons

MacFarland's revelation about Gabriel Landeskog's potential return during the playoffs brings a glimmer of hope for the Avalanche faithful. Landeskog skated today for the first time since his knee surgery on May 3, and will face a carefully planned rehabilitation process. While Coach Jared Bednar highlighted that Landeskog's return to the ice would not be an everyday occurrence initially, the significance of his presence, even in a limited capacity, is massive for the locker room:

"There's really nothing new," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said after practice Thursday. "This has been part of the plan for quite some time, the next step in his process to start getting on the ice. I'm assuming, and I don't know for certain, like it's not going to be every day on the ice kind of thing. He'll mix that into his rehab work and his gym work until eventually he's hitting the ice every day."

The Avs' recent victory over the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, showcased their potential when everything is aligned. However, they have also endured setbacks, as seen in their disappointing 8-4 defeat to the Florida Panthers. For a team seeking stability and reliability, the possibility of Gabriel Landeskog rejoining the lineup for the playoffs would be a dream scenario in a year that they aim to reclaim their former glory.