Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is back on the ice and back in the spotlight, and the conversation around him still circles one huge question: what might those Avalanche teams have looked like if the injury he suffered in 2020 had never happened?
Landeskog, who posted 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points in 54 games during the 2020-21 bubble season, followed that up with 30 goals and 29 assists for 59 points in 51 games in 2021-22. Then came the cartilage transplant in 2023, the kind of setback that wiped out the next three regular seasons before he finally returned in 2024-25, when he put up a goal and three assists for four points in five games.
Before last night’s game against the Dallas Stars, Landeskog spoke with NHL Tonight host E.J. Hradek on NHL Tonight: First Shift on NHL Network, reflecting on the road back, the time he missed, and what it means to be healthy again as he and the Avalanche chase another Stanley Cup.
It was the sort of injury the NHL rarely sees, and the recovery dragged on long enough that people around the league weren’t just wondering if Landeskog would play again. They were wondering what version of him might come back if he did.
For Landeskog, getting back wasn’t only about returning. It was about returning at a level he could live with.
“First of all, it was fun being back competing, and I don’t take anything for granted. I enjoy all of it. But I mean, in terms of my game, you get pretty critical pretty quickly, and you wanna be at a certain level… but you’ve also missed, I’ve missed three years, so realistic expectations were important for me to kinda get my mind around last year.”
Before the injury, Landeskog was the kind of player who lived comfortably in the 50-60-point range. He was never the flashiest name on the roster, but he didn’t need to be. His leadership mattered, and his game fit cleanly alongside Nathan MacKinnon and, at the time, Mikko Rantanen, forming one of the most dangerous lines in hockey.
Even at 33, the work still shows. Landeskog is doing the details, staying connected with teammates, and making sure everyone is aligned once they step on the ice together.
This offseason stood out because, for the first time in years, he could actually enjoy it without rehab hanging over everything. No constant worry about aggravating something.
No endless reset. Just a healthy summer leading into training camp and the grind of another regular season.
That freshness is already showing early this year. Landeskog has been snake-bitten at times, with unlucky goals and assists getting taken off the board, but in seven games he has two goals and two assists for four points and easily could have more. The bigger takeaway, though, is the way he looks and carries himself on the ice.
“I’m excited about the off-season that I’ve had, and I’m excited about feeling fresh, and I feel physically even that much better. …Understanding that there is gonna become a day where there’s no more hockey fuels me, and knowing that there's nothing to save it for, just go out there and play your heart out, and then we’ll see where we end up.”
Landeskog’s story also cuts to something every player eventually runs into: the realization that the ride doesn’t last forever. Some players walk away on their own terms.
Others are forced to think about it because of age or injury. Either way, the end comes.
During his absence, there was plenty of talk about whether he’d ever make it back from this specific injury. It wasn’t the kind of ACL/MCL issue that sends a player out for a year and then brings him back the next season. This was far more complicated, with setbacks that stretched the process out again and again.
And that’s what players miss most when they’re away: the day-to-day life of being part of a team. The practices, the games, the travel, the dinners, the flights, the fights, the whole routine.
“I loved every part of it, the travel, the dinners on the road that we always talk about, the team parties, the flights, the practices, all of it... One day, we take it for granted, but I’ve gotten this almost second chance at it, and I try to spread that to my teammates. I try to tell them ‘you’re gonna miss it one day’…”
For Colorado, Landeskog’s presence remains impossible to replace. For everyone watching this comeback unfold, the fact that he’s back at all is the story.
In Other News...
Cale Makar Shares Personal Update After Brief Avalanche Absence
Cale Makar is back with the Avalanche after stepping away for a game to be with his family for the birth of his twin sons, Mattie and Rhett. The star defenseman returned to the lineup and looked right at home in his usual role, logging 28 shifts and nearly 23 minutes of ice time as Colorado got back to business with one of its most important players available again.
Makar said his family is healthy, a welcome update after a brief absence that had little to do with hockey but plenty to do with life. For Avalanche fans, it was another reminder that the cornerstone piece of the roster is as settled off the ice as he is on it, especially after signing his eight-year deal last offseason and making clear he wants to spend his career in Colorado. [Read more 🡒]
Hakstols Sudden Avalanche Exit Raises An Obvious Timing Question
Dave Hakstols sudden departure from the Avalanche staff came soon after Jared Bednar signed a four-year contract extension, giving the move a natural layer of intrigue even before the explanation surfaced. Hakstol has already moved on to take the head coaching job at Arizona State, stepping into a program that is dealing with its own significant challenges after a recent player health incident.
For Colorado, the timing is what stands out most because it invites questions about how much of this was about opportunity and how much was about the way the coaching picture had just shifted in Denver. There has been speculation about the reasons behind Hakstols exit, but nothing has been confirmed, leaving the Avalanche with a notable change on the bench and one obvious thread still hanging. [Read more 🡒]
Brent Burns Is Still Chasing The One Prize Colorado Wants Most
Brent Burns has become one of the steadier veteran pieces on Colorados blue line, bringing 23 NHL seasons of experience and a rare durability that still stands out in todays game. After signing a one-year extension in June, he settled in as a dependable presence for the Avalanche, adding depth and offering the kind of edge that only comes from having seen just about everything over the course of a long career.
Burns also kept producing at the offensive end, finishing the 2025-26 season with 12 goals and 23 assists while extending his place in NHL history with the second-longest consecutive games played streak at 1,012. For a team still chasing the Stanley Cup, his value goes beyond the numbers. Colorado gets a veteran who can log minutes, provide stability and keep pushing toward the one prize that continues to define the season. [Read more 🡒]