The Colorado Avalanche are set to take on the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. But on Tuesday, the Avalanche made big news when they recalled veteran star Gabriel Landeskog -- and Landeskog's return to action after nearly three calendar years on the sidelines with a catastrophic knee injury could be the best story of the post-season.
Landeskog returned to on-ice action this week when he played two games with the American League's Colorado Eagles. Landeskog posted a goal and two points in his second game, a performance that had to infuse him with confidence that he could do great things after more than 1,000 days between NHL games. And certainly, Landeskog's teammates fully believe Landeskog still can contribute in hockey's top league.
"It was awesome," Avs superstar Nathan MacKinnon told NHL.com in regard to Landeskog's two AHL games. "I [didn't] know what to expect, obviously, but I thought every shift he looked better. I thought Game Two, he looked a lot better as well...He's Gabe Landeskog at the end of the day, and, obviously, there's going to be some rust. Three years is a crazy amount of time off, and he hasn't really been practicing that much either...But I think he looks great, and in game situations, you can still see those instincts are there. He's still got it, for sure."
Hockey fans always enjoy a great comeback story, and Landeskog's fight to overcome adversity is one of the NHL's best human interest stories in recent memory. The 32-year-old Swede has played 738 regular-season NHL games and 69 playoff games, but if and when he suits up for the Avs in the current post-season, he's going to give his teammates a huge inspirational boost.
Landeskog was a key factor in the Avalanche's most recent Cup victory, and now, he has a chance to help push them to another Cup win. We shouldn't expect him to be a difference-maker -- at least, not right away -- but it's hard not to root for someone who probably felt at some point like his on-ice career was at an end.
Gabriel Landeskog Set to Play in His First Professional Game Since 2022Loveland, Colo. - The Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Eagles (AHL) announced this morning that Gabriel Landeskog will dress for the Colorado Eagles in their match tonight against the Henderson Silver Knights. This will be his Eagles debut.
Landeskog will have scores of Avs fans cheering him on, and just getting back to the NHL is a massive achievement for him. We'll all be watching him and hoping for the best -- and if he does deliver a memorable performance, Landeskog will carve out a particularly special place in hockey history.