The last time Gabriel Landeskog suited up for the Colorado Avalanche, it ended with him hoisting the Stanley Cup — and now, his return could be a key piece in another potential championship run.
On Monday, the Avalanche activated their captain from injured reserve, signaling that he may be close to returning to game action after missing the past three seasons. Colorado faces the Dallas Stars in Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series Monday night in Texas.
Landeskog, now 32, recently appeared in two AHL games with the Colorado Eagles as part of his conditioning and has been practicing regularly with the NHL squad since rejoining the team.
Gabriel Landeskog has been steadily working his way back from knee surgery he underwent in May 2023—an operation intended to fix an injury that originally occurred in September 2020 during a game against Dallas. The procedure he opted for has previously ended the careers of other athletes, but Landeskog has never publicly considered retirement. In fact, talk of a return has persisted for years and has recently gained momentum, especially with a documentary in the works chronicling his comeback—suggesting a hopeful outcome.
Landeskog has mentioned that the injury primarily affects him while skating. He initially sustained the damage when Cale Makar accidentally cut his knee during Game 6 of a playoff series against the Stars. Landeskog missed the decisive Game 7, which the Avalanche lost, but returned the following season to play in 54 of 56 regular-season games and appeared in 10 playoff contests during the COVID-shortened 2020–21 campaign. In 2021–22, he played 51 regular-season games before undergoing surgery, then came back for the playoffs, where he racked up 22 points in 20 games and helped lead Colorado to its first Stanley Cup since 2001.
If Landeskog is activated for Game 2 on Monday, he’s likely to slot into the lineup in place of Ross Colton, who suffered a lower-body injury in Game 1 and played just one shift in the third period. The Avalanche surged in the final frame of that game, earning a 5-1 win and a 1-0 lead in the series.