For a few tense minutes on Jan. 4, the Colorado Avalanche had no idea what they were looking at when Gabriel Landeskog crashed into the Florida Panthers’ net.
That was the nightmare. Not just the fall itself, but the silence that followed it.
Landeskog went down ribs-first early in the second period, stayed on the ice in obvious pain and drew an immediate rush from the Avalanche training staff. When he finally got up, he needed help from the medical staff and Nathan MacKinnon to get toward the dressing room, and the arena answered with applause.
The reaction made sense. Landeskog wasn’t just any player taking a spill.
He was the Avalanche captain, back in the NHL after nearly three full seasons away because of a severe knee injury that required multiple procedures, including a cartilage transplant. So when he was lying there on the ice again, 41 games into his comeback season, the fear wasn’t limited to the obvious contact point.
It was his knee that had everyone on edge.
At that point in the season, Landeskog had settled in for seven goals and 15 assists, good for 22 points, and Colorado was rolling with just two regulation losses. Then came the collision, and nobody knew what it meant.
A little more than two minutes into the third period, the Avalanche announced Landeskog had an upper-body injury and would not return. Colorado went on to lose 2-1, taking only its third regulation defeat of the season.
The first scare turned out not to be the end of his year. Landeskog missed five games before returning to the lineup, but another setback arrived on March 6 against the Dallas Stars, when he took a Cale Makar shot in an extremely unfortunate spot. That injury required surgery and kept him out for seven games.
In all, Landeskog missed 12 regular-season games because of those two injuries, yet still finished with 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 60 games.
He also managed to represent Sweden at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, which only added to how improbable the season felt after everything he had already been through just to get back to the NHL.
And he wasn’t done there. In the playoffs, even though the Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, Landeskog produced 11 points in 13 games, with six goals and five assists.
That was the story of his 2025-26 season: every time he got knocked down, he found a way back. The night in Florida was one of the scariest moments of the Avalanche’s year. It just wasn’t the end of Landeskog’s comeback.
In Other News...
Avalanche Suddenly Have A Real Gavin Brindley Decision Looming
Gavin Brindley gave the Avalanche a useful look last season, getting into 56 games and chipping in six goals and seven assists while working in limited minutes. For a young player still trying to carve out a permanent NHL role, that kind of production matters, especially on a roster that values speed and energy and has shown it can find room for players who fit the pace.
Brindleys case is a little trickier because of how he profiles. He is smaller, but his quickness and work off the puck make him intriguing, and there is also a sense that he may be better suited on the wing than in the middle after holding his own on faceoffs. Even so, the path to a secure roster spot for 2026-27 is far from clear, with more competition coming and a decision point starting to come into view. [Read more 🡒]
Cale Makar Delay Puts Avalanches Biggest Summer Move In Focus
Cale Makars next contract has become the biggest summer item hanging over the Avalanche, even if the finish line already feels close. A trade is not the real storyline here, and both sides seem intent on getting an extension done without turning it into a public saga. The situation has the look of a top player and a contender simply working through the normal mechanics of a major deal, with Colorado hoping to lock in one of the NHLs defining defensemen for the long haul.
The delay may have more to do with timing than tension, with Makar still working back from offseason shoulder surgery. Theres also a sense that the important part may already be settled, leaving only the formal signing to come once everything is ready. It has a bit of the same feel as Connor McDavids recent contract talks, where the noise never quite matched the level of concern, and for the Avalanche that is probably the best sign of all. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Prospect Depth Is Real But The NHL Path Isn't Clear
The Avalanches prospect picture is deeper than it often gets credit for, and a fresh look at the organizations under-25 talent pool reinforces that there is real inventory in the system. Mile High Hockeys staff ranked the top 25 players under 25 in the organization as of Sept. 1, 2026, while also working from an extended list of 35, and the exercise turned up a few near misses who show just how crowded the path can be for young players trying to break through.
Among the players just outside the top 25 were forward Nolan Roed, goaltender Tobias Tvrznik and defenseman Saige Weinstien, each of whom drew enough notice to earn honorable mention status after recent performances that kept them in the conversation. The broader takeaway is familiar for a team trying to balance contention with development: the Avalanche may have more young talent on hand than outsiders realize, but sorting out which prospects can realistically translate that promise into NHL roles is still the hard part. [Read more 🡒]