The return of Gabriel Landeskog to the Colorado Avalanche happened during the 2024-25 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars. It came three years after Landeskog suffered a tragic knee injury that forced him into having to rehab it ever since, in his quest to return to the ice. It really is quite remarkable when you think about all of the things he had to go through to get to the point that he is at now. First, he spent several games with the Eagles.
Unfortunately, age doesn’t stop for anybody. He will turn 33 in November. You know what they say about “the wrong side of 30.” That’s just the way it goes in the world of sports. You’re closer to retirement than you are to the beginning of your career. It happens to everybody.
That being said, what if Landeskog is feeling good several years down the road? What if the time away from the game helps him be able to play closer to his 40s? If that ends up being the case, to Avalanche fans, it might seem as if the terrible knee injury never even happened.
The big question is whether or not Landeskog’s knee(s) will hold up throughout the upcoming years. Yes, the rest of his body is injury-free from the time off. That’s not an issue. Can his knee withstand what it takes to continue to play for several more years, perhaps into his 40s? That would truly be an amazing thing to see.
I have a feeling that most everyone would doubt that Landeskog will be able to do it, simply because of the grind. However, being forced to spend three years off the ice is something that is very uncommon. When you go and watch some clips of the documentary he shot, it is clear that he missed being out on the ice with his teammates. He even points out at one point that it hurt to be in the building and not being able to hit the ice.
On July 21, 2021, Landeskog signed a contract extension, keeping him around until the 2029 season. The cap hit for each year of the deal is $7 million. He’ll be 36 years old during the season in which that deal is up, but it could be known much earlier whether or not he’s expected to remain with the team past this current deal.
It is clear that Landeskog has a tremendous impact in the locker room, too. He wasn’t named captain of the Avalanche for no reason. He wasn’t named the youngest captain in NHL history for no reason. His teammates buy into what he has to say. That’s a true indicator of a leader. His presence also helps me believe that players such as Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar would want to remain with the organization for the entireties of their careers. That is a big key, in my opinion, to the team’s future success. Keep the core intact.
I also think that it would be cool to see Landeskog in a front office position with the team once his playing days are behind him. Andrew Cogliano previously made that transition from player to employee.
