The Colorado Avalanche will likely be with out their captain through the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Colorado introduced Thursday that ahead Gabriel Landeskog will miss the complete postseason with a knee damage that price him the entire 2022-23 common season.
“We have explored nearly each choice at this level. … I assumed I used to be going to be able to go the second half of this season,” Landeskog told reporters Thursday. “… Shifting ahead we proceed to discover choices, however I felt like this was the choice I needed to make at this level.”
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar informed Bennett Durando of the Denver Submit on Sunday that Landeskog wouldn’t return through the common season. Previous to that, the workforce hadn’t dominated out the likelihood the veteran would swimsuit up, and there was optimism he would seem within the playoffs.
“He is pushing himself to the boundaries of what he appears like he can do,” Bednar informed reporters Wednesday.
Landeskog underwent arthroscopic knee surgical procedure in October and was given a 12-week restoration timeline. When he was reevaluated, it was decided that he wouldn’t return throughout the authentic timetable.
The 30-year-old spent a lot of the 2022-23 season rehabbing away from the workforce and did not return to Denver till February. He had been skating in anticipation of a return to the ice however was by no means a full participant in observe.
Landeskog was a major contributor for the Avalanche throughout their 2022 playoff run that ended with Colorado successful its first title since 2001, so this loss is very large for Bednar’s squad. He tallied 11 targets and 11 assists for 22 factors in 20 postseason video games en path to lifting the Stanley Cup.
With Landeskog unavailable through the 2022-23 season, the Avs have gone 49-24-7 and sit second within the Central Division behind the Dallas Stars. Colorado has regular-season video games remaining in opposition to the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators earlier than the playoffs start Monday.
Whereas Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen have excelled as anticipated this season, every notching greater than 100 factors, J.T. Compher, Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin have picked up the slack in Landeskog’s absence.
The Avalanche will want the trio to proceed producing at a excessive stage within the postseason in the event that they hope to make it again to the Stanley Cup Closing with out their captain.
Colorado has additionally been with out star defenseman Cale Makar of late resulting from a lower-body damage, however he is anticipated to return within the postseason.
