Gabriel Landeskog has been absent from the Colorado Avalanche's for almost three entire seasons.
The captain nursed a serious knee injury throughout the Avalanche's run to a 2022 Stanley Cup Final victory, eventually leading him to cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023.
Landeskog returned to participating in practices on Monday by partaking in non-contact drills.
Head coach Jared Bednar informed reporters that Landeskog will travel with the team, along with Josh Manson, who remains out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. While neither player will be in the lineup, Bednar emphasized the importance of keeping them involved in team skates.
“Here I am, 32 years old, really wanting to play hockey and really wanting to continue and see where I can take this thing,” Landeskog said to The Athletic's Peter Baugh this month. “I think that’s maybe where we are in terms of this whole thing: How far can I push it? How good can I get it?
“And I understand I’m probably not going to skate completely pain-free again, but I want to be able to get to a point where I can at least manage it and then make a decision for myself and see where we end up.”
Landeskog, 32, who won the Calder Trophy for the NHL's best rookie in 2012 and subsequently became the youngest captain in league history at 19, scored 248 goals and 571 points and helped the Avalanche reach the playoffs six times.
While there is still no finite timetable for his return, Landeskog remains committed to return to play no matter the circumstances.
“I’ve decided to see this thing through, no matter how long it takes,” he said. “At the end of the day, I started it. I plan on finishing it.”
