The Colorado Avalanche are gearing up for their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars, and if they intend on coming out on top in this series, they will need all the help they can get. Gabriel Landeskog appears to be close to making his long-awaited return to the team, but ahead of this game, head coach Jared Bednar provided a cryptic update on his status.
Landeskog has not played for the Avalanche in nearly three years due to a slew of knee injuries that have required lengthy rehabilitation processes. He’s returned to the ice recently, though, playing for the Colorado Eagles in the AHL earlier this month. The hope is that Landeskog will be back in action for Game 1, but Bednar refused to tip his hand when asked about the star forward’s status.
“Jared Bednar won’t say if Gabriel Landeskog will play tonight. Landeskog has been on the ice longer than most for this optional morning skate, which typically indicates a scratch, but Bednar said, ‘You’ll have to wait and see,'” Mark Lazerus of The Athletic shared in a post on X.
Jared Bednar, Avalanche could get huge Gabriel Landeskog boost in Game 1
While Landeskog obviously has some rust to shake off considering he hasn’t played in an NHL game since all the way back in 2022, he would immediately pose another threat for opposing defenses to worry about when going up against Colorado. With the postseason now here, that could make a major difference when it comes to determining how far the Avs can go.
Whether or not Landeskog will play in Game 1 remains to be seen, but it’s looking increasingly likely that he will be a factor in this series for Colorado. The Avalanche will kick off their postseason campaign on Saturday night, as they will be going up against the high-powered Stars. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.
