Avs HC provides major update on Gabriel Landeskog return

One of the question marks surrounding the Avalanche this summer is the future of Gabriel Landeskog.  While it’s well-known that he was intending to try to return from continued knee issues that cost him the last two seasons, the realistic possibility of that happening wasn’t exactly obvious.

Speaking with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, head coach Jared Bednar indicated that Colorado’s captain will not be ready to return when the puck drops on the regular season in October.  However, Landeskog appears to be aiming for an early-season return.  That said, Bednar puts that timeline between the first month or two of the year, noting that the exact timing remains up to Landeskog.

“He’s trying to make a return here sometime near the start of the season and if that goes well, it would be a really big boost for us,” Bednar said. “So, that’s something we’re all a little anxious about, but really excited about as well. He hasn’t played for us in two years.”

The 31-year-old had quadriceps surgery during the 2020 playoffs and had knee surgery in March and October 2022.  He then underwent cartilage replacement surgery on his knee last May after the procedure six months earlier didn’t fix the injury.  Late last season, the Avs indicated that there was a possibility that Landeskog could return depending on how far they went in the playoffs.  However, they were ousted in the second round by Dallas and that return never materialized.

When healthy, Landeskog has been a key part of Colorado’s forward group.  In 2021-22, his last season of action, he recorded 30 goals and 29 assists in just 51 games as a mainstay on the top line.  Over his past four years (excluding the last two where he didn’t play), he has 230 points in 232 contests.  While it wouldn’t be realistic to expect Landeskog to come back and produce at a similar rate after being off for so long, his eventual return should still bolster their depth at a minimum while potentially giving them a boost lower in the lineup.

From a salary-cap perspective, if the minimum timeline for Landeskog’s return is a month, he’ll be eligible to land back on LTIR to start the season.  Between that and Valeri Nichushkin not counting against the cap while in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, Colorado will safely be in cap compliance when the regular season gets underway.  But when (or if) both players can return, then they could be very tight to the upper limit depending on how they fill out their roster over the next couple of months.

In other injury news, Bednar indicated that winger Logan O’Connor should be ready to start the season after undergoing hip surgery in March.  However, he’s not as certain that winger Artturi Lehkonen will be medically cleared by the opener; he had shoulder surgery after the playoffs.  If he’s not available on opening night, the Avs will be down three of their top wingers to start the season.