Gabriel Landeskog To Miss The 2023-2024 NHL Season, Career In Limbo

By Jordan Long

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog missed the entire season dealing with a knee injury.  There were hopes he would be back for the NHL Playoffs.  Unfortunately, the Avalanche had to shut him down.  Colorado ended up losing to Seattle in 7 games of the first-round of the NHL postseason.  Now, Landeskog is expected to miss the 2023-2024 season. He is getting a cartilage transplant in his right knee.  This might be the end of the road for Landeskog.

            Landeskog is one of the top players for the Avalanche.  They drafted him in the 1^st round, 2^nd overall in the 2011 NHL Draft.  Landeskog scored 22 goals and added 30 assists for 52 points that season.  Since then, Landeskog totaled 8 more seasons of 20 or more goals.  34 was the most goals he scored in a season set in 2019.  Landeskog was even named the Colorado Avalanche captain on September 4^th, 2012.  Landeskog was 19 years and 286 days when the Avalanche announced he would wear the C, the youngest captain in NHL history.

            This past year, the Avalanche skated to a 51-24-7 record for a total of 109 points without their captain.  There was hope that Landeskog would be back for the NHL playoffs.  Colorado admitted he would not be able to play in the playoffs on April 13^th.  Colorado, as we all know, lost to Seattle in 7 games.

            If Landeskog can’t return to 100%, he played well in his 11-year NHL career.  He suited up in 738 NHL games, scoring 248 goals and adding 323 assists for 571 points.   The goals are 7^th in Colorado Avalanche history.  The points are 8^th.   He also played in 69 postseason games for Colorado, totaling 27 goals and 40 assists for 67 points.

            Landeskog has accomplished a lot in his NHL career.  He took home the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2012 which is given to the league’s top rookie. Landeskog went to 1 All-Star game, 2019.  Of course, an NHL player’s goal is to win the Stanley Cup. Colorado won the Cup in 2022.  There is anticipation that this next surgery will be successful so he can return to the ice.  If not, at least Landeskog had a successful career at the NHL level.