Gabriel Landeskog isn't looking for an escape.
The Colorado Avalanche captain, and a player who, if dealt, would actualize the imminent shakeup in Denver, has stated his desire to remain with the crumbling program.
"I want to be an Avalanche, to stay an Avalanche, and be in Denver for a long, long time," he told Mike Chambers of The Denver Post.
Landeskog, believed to be one of the few valuable assets general manager Joe Sakic will consider trading before the deadline on March 1, isn't allowing the chatter to affect his approach.
"Whether my name is floating around or not, I'm still approaching the game the same way," he said. "And that is to spread energy, be a good teammate, work hard and try to get better every day. Me being in trade rumors, that's nothing I can control."
A physical left-shot scoring winger that has scored at least 20 goals in each of his four 82-game seasons, and a leader that was once the youngest captain in NHL history, Landeskog isn't short of desirable traits. The trouble is finding a trade partner that's willing to move an asset the Avalanche covet, and has the cap space to entertain the final four-plus seasons on Landeskog's $39-million deal.
Among the names Sakic said the Avs won't consider moving are Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and last year's No. 1 draft pick, Tyson Jost.
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