Would Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog have returned to the lineup had the team gone further into the playoffs? “I guess we’ll never really know,” he said.
The 31-year-old forward had knee cartilage replacement surgery on May 10, 2023 and was given a 12-18 month timeline for recovery and the ability to get back into action on the ice. He started skating in December and progressively improved since then, but was not ready to get back into the lineup at his year-mark.
“Laying the foundation and playing in an NHL playoff game is very different. I’m sure you guys all witnessed it. I mean, mentally I felt pretty close at times. I’m like, ‘all right, well I can do this. I can go out there for a few shifts here and there,'” Landeskog said. “But I think the best decision was made for me to focus on what I was doing throughout the entire playoffs. As hard as it was and as much as I wanted to be out there, it was ultimately the best decision for my health. And I think long term for this organization as well.”
The team said it was going to do what was best for its captain and it did. There is still no exact date or general timeframe for his full return, but he is optimistic he will be back in the near future. And it was confirmed that he is not retiring.
“You asked about next season? Between mid September and start of April, I feel pretty good about it,” the 6-foot-1 winger said with a laugh.
The last two months Landeskog said he has not faced any setbacks and has felt really good. It has not been a perfectly straight line though, there have been many challenges along the way.
