Avalanche Uncertain Whether Gabriel Landeskog Will Ever Return

The Colorado Avalanche remain in the dark about captain Gabriel Landeskog’s return to the ice -- assuming it happens at all.

NHL insider Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported on Friday that the Avs still have no timeline for Landeskog's comeback.

Landeskog, who has been sidelined since the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup victory in 2022, is recovering from a complex knee surgery that no NHL player has returned from to date.

"The initial recovery time announced by the club when he had the surgery was 12 to 16 months," LeBrun wrote. "It’s now been more than 18 months since the surgery.

"The Avs simply don’t know when or if he will be back. They hope it’s sometime in the second half [of the season], but they can’t guarantee it."

Landeskog underwent a cartilage transplant in May 2023 after persistent issues stemming from previous knee injuries.

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has remained optimistic ahead of and during the season, providing brief updates and describing Landeskog’s progress as making “big strides.”

"He's had some time off the ice," Bednar said on Nov. 7, via Evan Rawal of Colorado Springs Gazette. "He's starting to feel better in the gym, and he just keeps working through his process, but we don't have a timeline on him."

LeBrun highlighted the Avalanche’s challenges, both on and off the ice. Landeskog’s $7 million cap hit is a significant factor in Colorado’s trade deadline planning. 

If he returns during the regular season, the team will need to create cap space, but a playoff-only return would allow the Avs to avoid cap complications under NHL rules.

Before the injury, Landeskog was among the league’s most reliable forwards, posting 30 goals and 59 points in 51 games during the 2021-22 season and helping to lead Colorado to its first Cup since 2001.