Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog has reportedly suffered a serious setback in his bid to make an NHL return from injury.
According to Adrian Dater, Gabriel Landeskog has encountered a serious setback in his effort to return to the NHL this season with the Colorado Avalanche. He previously had quadriceps surgery during the 2020 playoffs, followed by knee surgeries in March and October 2022, and most recently underwent cartilage replacement surgery on May 10, 2023. While there was hope for his return, it seems things may have taken a turn for the worse.
Dater mentions, “From two trusted sources: Landeskog’s setback was ‘significant.’ A return at all is in real question. I hope this turns out to be WRONG. He doesn’t deserve this.”
Head coach Jared Bednar also provided a brief update on Landeskog’s situation, commenting on the initial projections regarding the Avalanche captain’s desire to be ready for the start of the season.
“I don’t know about the start of the season because we’re already here, right, and he’s had some time off the ice and he’s starting to feel better, in the gym, and he just keeps working through his process. We don’t have a timeline on him.”
Watch: Landeskog hasn’t made any statements himself
It’s worth noting that Landeskog hasn’t made any statements himself, and the team has yet to confirm anything beyond Bednar’s initial comments. Still, fans are growing concerned, especially given the silence from both Landeskog and the team in recent weeks.
Landeskog Unlikely to Retire If He Can’t Return
Financially, it makes little sense for Landeskog to retire if it turns out he won’t be able to play again. Not only would it mean forfeiting millions in remaining salary from his eight-year, $56 million contract, which runs until 2029, but under current NHL contract rules, teams and players can’t simply end a deal due to injury. If Landeskog were to retire, the Avalanche would face a heavy cap recapture penalty. It makes more sense to keep him on LTIR.
This option enables the Avalanche to use insurance payouts to cover replacement player costs without directly impacting their payroll, effectively preserving essential cap space. Ideally, the situation won’t reach this point, and there’s hope that Landeskog might eventually return, even if he’s well behind his anticipated recovery timeline.
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