Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is once again facing an uncertain stretch on the sidelines, with the team confirming he will miss “some time,” though the full extent of the injury has yet to be determined.
The frightening moment occurred Sunday night against the Florida Panthers, when Landeskog crashed hard into the goalposts early in the second period after a violent collision near the net. The impact immediately drew concern, and after struggling to get up, the veteran forward required assistance leaving the ice. He would not return for the remainder of the game.
The timing couldn’t be more gut-wrenching. Landeskog has spent years battling through a grueling cycle of knee surgeries and rehab just to make it back onto the ice this season. Seeing him go down again — regardless of the injury — was a deflating sight for both teammates and fans. The Avalanche went on to suffer just their third regulation loss of the season, but the result felt secondary given the circumstances.
Following the game, head coach Jared Bednar confirmed that Landeskog is dealing with an upper-body injury and will be out for an unspecified period. While no injury is good news, there’s cautious optimism that the issue could be related to his ribs rather than his knee — a small silver lining considering everything the Colorado captain has already endured.
The Avalanche now face a challenging stretch, with a road trip to Tampa Bay later this week before returning home to Denver. How they navigate this stretch without their emotional leader will be closely watched.
Everyone across the hockey world is pulling for Landeskog. After everything he’s fought through to get back, the hope is that this latest setback proves to be relatively minor — a painful but manageable injury rather than another long, frustrating chapter in an already difficult journey.