Finally, a “tentative” plan for the return of Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog

In the sport of hockey, injury updates are few and far between.

In the case of Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, we’ve heard very little since his knee surgery on Oct. 19. Landeskog hasn’t played a game for the defending Stanley Cup champions this year, and fans are starting to wonder what’s going on.

After the surgery, the timeline for his return was about three months. That came and went on Jan. 19, but we’re still relatively in the window of when he could be back. On Friday, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar provided the good news the captain could begin skating in Denver after the All-Star break.

#Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee) is still not in Denver, but the tentative plan is for him to start skating under team supervision after the NHL All-Star break. No definitive date yet for that to start.

— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) January 27, 2023

The key in that tweet is “tentative,” the word Bednar used when describing Landeskog’s status. We’ve know he’s out of the country and not with the team, but it’s unclear where he’s been. Could he be in his home country of Sweden receiving treatment? Perhaps, but the Avs haven’t said and it’s not worth speculating.

Regardless, if Colorado can get its captain back before a postseason run, that would be a huge lift. From a leadership and offensive production standpoint, Landeskog is missed. The Avs had a six-game winning streak snapped without him to the awful Ducks on Thursday night, and have had some shaky losses this season.

Even if it’s 15-20 games before the playoffs, that would hopefully be enough for Landeskog to get his legs back. Remember, he missed the final six weeks before the postseason last year and was one of Colorado’s best players.

The Avs have one more game on Saturday against the Blues, then nine days off before returning to action on Feb. 7 in Pittsburgh. Colorado has a 26-18-3 record and currently is tied for the final Wild Card spot with the Calgary Flames.

It might end up being more like four months without Landeskog, but just hearing some positive news is a welcomed relief.

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