Colorado Avalanche get answer on Gabriel Landeskog return after missing two full seasons

According to a new report from Tom Gulitti on NHL.com, , Gabriel Landeskog could return to the Avalanche early into the upcoming season.

Landeskog last played for the Avalanche in the 2021-22 season when his team won the Stanley Cup. When he's in the lineup, he's a star player in the NHL and a major reason the Avalanche were a powerhouse team. In his last season, Landeskog scored 30 goals and 59 points in only 51 games, then scored 22 points in 20 playoff games. Being the Captain of the team as well, it'll be a huge boost to the team to get him back in the lineup. He's signed for five more seasons at an annual average of $7M.

Landeskog has been through an unbelievable run of 4 major surgeries for a knee injury that have kept him out the last 164 regular season games. He first had quadriceps surgery in 2020, and last had cartilage replacement in his knee on May 10, 2023. If the Avalanche went on a deep playoff run, Coach Bednar said that Landeskog would've been an option in the playoffs.

The Avalanche have still been a quality team in the last two years, but with Landeskog back they will be a much better team. The powerhouse first line of Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen will be reunited, previously one of the most dominant lines in hockey. With the boost of their captain back, perhaps the Avalanche threaten in the playoffs now more than previous years.

Source for Landeskog stats: PuckPedia