Gabe Landeskog gave Avalanche fans a pump fake on Monday night in Dallas.
Now, it appears Colorado’s captain is ready to take a shot on an NHL sheet of ice.
Head coach Jared Bednar said on his weekly show on Altitude Sports Radio on Wednesday morning that “there is a good chance that (Landeskog) is going to play tonight” in Game 3 of the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with the first-round series tied at 1-1.
Landeskog participated in the Avs’ morning skate Wednesday morning, just as he has been recently. One big difference — he wore a burgundy jersey, which on game days denotes being part of the second power-play unit, and the captain participated in power play drills during the skate.
“We’ll see,” Bednar said after the skate when asked if Landeskog will play.
When asked what his criteria will be for the decision, Bednar responded, “gut feeling.”
Landeskog has not played an NHL game in 1,032 days due to issues with his right knee. He suffered an accidental skate cut just above the knee during the 2020 playoffs inside the NHL’s “COVID bubble” in Edmonton, Alberta, then played off and on over the next two seasons, culminating in winning the Stanley Cup in 2022.
The captain underwent a series of procedures, including knee cartilage replacement surgery in May 2023, in attempt to get back on the ice. Now, it appears the long wait is over.
“I’m thrilled. I think that’s so much bigger than than hockey in this series,” ex-Avs star and current Stars center Matt Duchene said. “He was up at my cottage right after he had the surgery, showing me the pictures of before and after, all that stuff.
“And obviously as a guy, we have a good friendship. Our families are good friends, and we’ve been rooting for him to come back. Obviously, it makes our job harder having a guy like that out there, but on the friends side, the human side and the fellow athlete side, I think everyone’s happy to see the progress he’s made.”
Landeskog was activated from long-term injured reserve hours before Game 2 on Monday. He led the Avs skaters out for warmups, donning the ‘C’ on his jersey. But Miles Wood, not Landeskog, took line rushes during warmups in place of an injured Ross Colton. Wood, not Landeskog, then took the place of Colton on the official lineup.
“Gabe wanted to get in a groove and take warmup tonight and get in the room and be part of it,” Bednar said after the game Monday night, a 4-3 Avs loss in overtime. “So that’s why he did that.”
Want more Avalanche news? Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis.
Originally Published: April 23, 2025 at 9:48 AM MDT
