Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog ramps up practice, will join team on road

The Colorado Avalanche got some encouraging news at practice on Monday.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog took part in a number of drills and even stayed out during the team portion of the skate.

Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters afterward that Landeskog would travel with the team along with Josh Manson, who is also sidelined week-to-week due to an upper-body injury. Bednar did make it clear that neither player will play but wants to give them a chance to keep participating in skates.

It’s an encouraging sign for Landeskog, who is determined to make his return to playing.

The 32-year-old last appeared in an NHL game almost three seasons ago, as he battled a lingering knee injury, which led him to cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023.

In total, Landeskog has had four surgeries on the same knee since 2020, leaving his NHL future up in the air.

“Here I am, 32 years old, really wanting to play hockey and really wanting to continue and see where I can take this thing,” he told The Athletic‘s Peter Baugh earlier this month. “I think that’s maybe where we are in terms of this whole thing: How far can I push it? How good can I get it?

“And I understand I’m probably not going to skate completely pain-free again, but I want to be able to get to a point where I can at least manage it and then make a decision for myself and see where we end up.”

Lonzo Ball, the point guard for the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, returned to the hardwood earlier this season after undergoing a cartilage transplant surgery of his own in March 2023 — giving hope that Landeskog could do something similar.

“I’ve decided to see this thing through, no matter how long it takes,” he said. “At the end of the day, I started it. I plan on finishing it.”

Over his 11 NHL seasons, Landeskog scored 248 goals and 571 points for the Avalanche, helping the team to the post-season six times.