Landeskog Injury Return Setback, Career Could Be at Risk [Report]

According to Adrian Dater, Gabriel Landeskog has suffered a serious setback in his bid to make it back to the NHL this season with the Colorado Avalanche. He was out with quadriceps surgery during the 2020 postseason and had knee surgery in March 2022 and October 2022 before undergoing cartilage replacement surgery on his knee on May 10, 2023. The hope was he’d eventually be able to return, and he remained positive that his career wasn’t over, but things might have taken a negative turn.

Dater reports, “From two trusted sources: Landeskog setback was “significant”. A return at all is in real question. I hope this turns out to be WRONG. He doesn’t deserve this.”

Head coach Jared Bednar offered a bit of an update on Landeskog’s status. He explained when asked about the early projections that the Avalanche captain wanted to be available for the start of this season:

“I don’t know about the start of the season because we’re already here, right, and he’s had some time off the ice and he’s starting to feel better, in the gym, and he just keeps working through his process. We don’t have a timeline on him.”

Here is Jared Bednar’s update on Gabe Landeskog from today after practice.

To me… it sounds like there was maybe a setback. pic.twitter.com/f9O8fF86GZ

— Jesse Montano (@jessemontano_) November 4, 2024

It’s worth noting that Landeskog hasn’t made any statements himself, and the team has yet to confirm anything beyond Bednar’s initial comments. Still, fans are growing concerned, especially given the silence from both Landeskog and the team in recent weeks.

Landeskog Unlikely to Retire If He Can’t Return

Financially, it makes little sense for Landeskog to retire if it turns out he won’t be able to play again. Not only would it mean forfeiting millions in remaining salary from his eight-year, $56 million contract, which runs until 2029, but under current NHL contract rules, teams and players can’t simply end a deal due to injury. If Landeskog were to retire, the Avalanche would face a heavy cap recapture penalty. It makes more sense to keep him on LTIR.

This option enables the Avalanche to use insurance payouts to cover replacement player costs without directly impacting their payroll, effectively preserving essential cap space. Ideally, the situation won’t reach this point, and there’s hope that Landeskog might eventually return, even if he’s well behind his anticipated recovery timeline.

Next: 3 Things for Fans to Watch as Flames Meet Canadiens