The Colorado Avalanche are one step closer to having captain Gabriel Landeskog return to the lineup.

The Avalanche announced on Wednesday they loaned Landeskog to the AHL's Colorado Eagles for a conditioning assignment.

Landeskog, 32, hasn't played since the team won the Stanley Cup on June 26, 2022. He's been recovering from a right knee injury that included having cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023. The Avalanche have him on long-term injured reserve in the meantime, and he'll remain there during the conditioning loan.

Under the collective bargaining agreement, a player on LTIR can be loaned on a conditioning assignment for a period up to the longer of six days and three games, solely for the purpose of determining whether they are fit to play. If the team believes it needs more time to assess the player's fitness to play, it can request the NHL an extension of the loan for two more games.

While Landeskog has practised with the Avalanche occasionally, the AHL assignment allows him to get into some game action. He hasn't played in the AHL before, going straight from OHL Kitchener in 2010-11 to the NHL in 2011-12.

Landeskog had 30 goals and 59 points in 51 games in 2021-22, as well as 11 goals and 22 points in 20 playoff games.

The Colorado chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association nominated Landeskog for the Masterton Trophy on Wednesday. The award goes annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.

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