We are 51 games into the season, the All-Star break has come and gone, the Avs are barely sitting in a playoff position, and as we prepare for the season's final push, there is still one major hole in the line-up: our captain.
Gabriel Landeskog has yet to play a game this season. And it feels like it. Similar to Disney’s cartoon, Robin Hood, King Richard is missing from the beginning, and nothing is right in his absence. However, the crusade he is fighting is knee rehabilitation, not a religious one. In 51 games last year, Landeskog accrued 59 points, and in March of 2022, he underwent knee surgery and missed the final 23 games of the regular season. He returned for the playoffs, contributing 11 goals and 11 assists. We won the Stanley Cup, but his quick return last year had a price, and we are still dealing with the consequences. In September his return for the regular season was questionable and then announced in October that he would have arthroscopic knee surgery in Minneapolis and be out 12 weeks.
Twelve weeks have come and gone, and the captain is still missing in action. In fact, he isn’t even in Denver. He has been rehabilitating in Philadelphia and Toronto, which leaves me wondering what kind of communication the captain has with the team. It's undeniable that his presence is missed. He is a powerhouse on the ice, we don’t call him Mandeskog for nothing, and he brings leadership and charisma in the locker room. As Coach Bednar said in relation to the core of guys on the team, "But Gabe is a huge part of it, right? Just his presence and calming influence on our locker room and the input he has. It's very timely. It's very specific. It's like he's an extension of the coaching staff. So we miss him, no question. Never mind what he does on the ice. Just being around and his leadership and being able to sort of connect with all the guys in our locker room -- he's an important piece." The Avalanche certainly has leadership in players like MacKinnon and Johnson, but no one can replace Landy. It’s like having your best friend live across the country, they might be a phone call away, but it doesn’t replace the kind of laughter of when you're together.
At 30 years old, this would be the captain's 12th season in the league since being drafted by the Avs in 2011. By NHL standards, he is an elder on the ice. Age is not a friend of professional athletes, and I’m sure Landeskog is more anxious to get back on the ice than we are.
We hear that he is coming back to Denver soon and should begin skating, but as per usual in the NHL, the actual timeline of his return is cryptic. He is, however, expected to return before the end of the regular season. We hope.
He is currently on the long-term injury reserve (LTIR), which allows the Avalanche to exceed their salary cap by his cap hit of $7 million in the playoffs. Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov underwent hip surgery and missed the entire 2020-21 regular (but shortened Covid season). By placing him on LTIR, they could keep their Stanley Cup core intact and even add to their roster. Kucherov returned in time for the first round of the playoffs and helped lead his team to another Stanley Cup. The timing aligned perfectly for the Lightning, and the same would have to be true for the Avalanche to pull off the same stunt with Landeskog. If we know honest Joe (Sakic), he won’t attempt to cheat the system and prolong Landeskog’s return, which would be subject to an NHL investigation.
Before we can even talk about the playoffs, the Avalanche will have to actually secure their spot. Two months remain in the season, and they will likely play captain-less for at least another month. However, when our nordic hero does return to the ice at Ball Arena, the response will undoubtedly rival the return of King Richard. MacKinnon or Makar may be our wily Robin Hood, but there is no denying that Landeskog will bring the much-required balance and leadership to his club on their quest for another Cup.