With training camp a mere month away, the Avalanche are getting ahead on the Gabriel Landeskog updates thanks to head coach Jared Bednar.
Bednar spoke to NHL.com on Saturday and was asked about his 31-year-old captain, who has not played since Colorado lifted the Stanley Cup in June 2022.
“He’s trying to make a return here sometime near the start of the season and if that goes well, it would be a really big boost for us,” Bednar said on Saturday while attending 2024-25 South Carolina Stingrays Fan Fest at North Charleston Coliseum. “That’s something we’re all a little anxious about, but really excited about as well. He hasn’t played for us in two years.”
Landeskog was pretty adamant when we spoke to him in May at Family Sports Center that a 2024-25 return is all but guaranteed in his mind. He did, however, provide a long range of dates between September and April as his target — insinuating that he’ll play regular season games, but didn’t know when.
While updates on Landeskog have continued to be “non-updates” in a sense, this is still encouraging. For Bednar to specify that Landeskog is seeking a return near the start of the season is something we haven’t yet seen from anyone in the organization.
Of course, setbacks can still happen. But it seems like his recovery has progressed pretty well over the summer.
It’s also promising that Chicago Bulls NBA star Lonzo Ball, who had the same surgery as Landeskog, is taking part in 5-on-5 drills and continues to clear bars toward a return. Ball had surgery three months before Landeskog did in 2023.
In my latest mailbag, I was asked a couple of questions that relate to Landeskog. I figured this would be an appropriate time to plug those.
@wastedtalent34 asks: How many games does Landeskog play this year?
As is the case with basically anything that has to do with Landeskog, nobody knows where his situation truly stands. With that being said, I’ll make a shot-in-the-dark prediction, and I’ll pencil him in for 35-40 games. But more importantly, feeling well when the playoffs begin.
@Ace676 asks: What do you think the Avs will do about wingers? They are down two top-six wings when the season starts. Are the Avs content on seeing how the situations progress on Landy and Val or are they preparing to make moves?
I think it’s a little bit of both. They’re content to see how the situations progress but will make a move early in the year if necessary. Obviously, Mikko Rantanen, Arturri Lehkonen and Jonathan Drouin will fill three of the winger slots (albeit Lehkonen isn’t guaranteed to be ready in October). And the fourth will probably be an opportunity for Calum Ritchie to get a taste of the NHL. Or maybe Nikolai Kovalenko gets his chance in the top six after a full training camp. Or perhaps it’s one of Bednar’s favorites in Logan O’Connor, who is expected to be healthy when camp begins.
If none of them are working out, and the team is desperate for wins and points, I can see a trade or an early-season waiver wire pickup to spark the offense. How big they go with this potential trade acquisition will depend on how confident they are in getting one or both of Nichushkin and Landeskog back soon.