The Colorado Avalanche still have some big questions to answer. Although much of the talk has been centered around winger Valeri Nichushkin’s status, captain Gabriel Landeskog has missed more than a year with a knee injury. His future is uncertain, and some think he should rescind the captaincy until he returns. He’s been saying that he will be back for the 2024-25 season, but when during the campaign?
Landeskog – The Elephant in the Room
Landeskog is the elephant in the room, with so much uncertainty about his status. Head coach Jared Bednar said he could return “near the start of the season,” but that is as vague as the last update from Landeskog himself back in May.
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This isn’t just any old absence from the Avalanche lineup. Landeskog is a vital contributor to the team’s top six, and he has left a gaping hole that the organization has yet to fill. It will be even worse if Nichushkin doesn’t return.
Avalanche Best-Case Scenario
As it stands, the team’s projected 2024-25 lineup features Jonathan Drouin and Arrturi Lehkonen on the top two lines. If Landeskog can return, he would slot in on either line and be a great fit because his game is different than the others.
On the top line, he would be the physical puck retriever and playmaker. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen can make their own offense but would be able to find open space while Landeskog does the dirty work.
His role would be largely the same on the second line. Casey Mittelstadt isn’t the most physical of centers, so Landeskog would help take some of the heat off him. Ideally, Landeskog would return to being a point-per-game player capable of threatening the 30-goal mark.
Avalanche Worst-Case Scenario
The worst-case scenario is that Landeskog doesn’t return at all. If there was any certainty about his status, his return date would be set, but instead, we’ve only received vague answers.
Knee injuries might not be as career-threatening as they used to be, but they can still be serious. The fact that Landeskog has already missed two full seasons because of one shows how serious the issue is. It is very possible that his career is over, and no one has accepted it yet. Given his age, it is only natural that he would work to return, but the writing might be on the wall that his days on the ice are over.
Most Likely Outcome for Landeskog
Most likely, Landeskog will return during the 2024-25 season. It probably won’t be on opening night, and it may be closer to 2025 when all is said and done. Like any high-end athlete, he will make a go of it, whether it makes more sense to retire or not.
Having Landeskog back in the lineup would provide an immediate emotional boost to the team. He will likely start on the third line to work through the rust and get back into game condition. From there, he could start to edge toward the best-case scenario, but that seems unlikely. I expect he will stay on the third line, providing energy and an edge. If he can regain some of his scoring touch, that would be a bonus. If he stays on the third line, however, there will be questions about whether he is struggling from not being on the ice for two years or if this is his ceiling going forward.
Avalanche Need Landeskog
No matter how you cut it, the Avalanche need their captain. Landeskog has been an essential part of the franchise since he was selected second overall in the 2011 NHL Draft. If he is unable to return this season, it will most likely mark the end of a solid career.
If he does return, in any capacity, it would be a shot in the arm for the Avalanche, and if he can somehow return to his pre-injury form, the team will be contenders again. At 31 years old, there is little doubt that Landeskog wants to return to the only NHL team he has ever known.
