Timber
It has already been a few years since Gabriel Landeskog has been sidelined in Colorado. The last time we saw the Avalanche captain play a game was when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, on June 26, 2022.
And as we just welcomed 2025, it reminds us how long Landeskog has been out of the game.
That said, the captain continues to work hard to try to make a return to the ice. Despite setbacks in his rehabilitation, Landeskog still clings to the hope of coming back…
And today, in Colorado, we witnessed a nice moment at practice as the captain skated with his teammates this morning.
And he didn’t look too beat up…
Landeskog is participating in morning skate… pic.twitter.com/NOo4aJe9iC
— Jesse Montano (@jessemontano_) January 2, 2025
However, one must be careful with such a situation, because in reality, it doesn’t mean he is getting closer to a return. It mainly seemed like a nice way to test the veteran’s rehabilitation a bit and motivate the rest of the group.
Because Jared Bednar acknowledged it: it feels good for the group to see Landeskog being around the team… but we shouldn’t think he will be back on the ice anytime soon.
Jared Bednar
«[Gabe Landeskog] is feeling good. I think he’s feeling very confident with what he’s doing in his rehab process right now. Starting to look better and better on the ice. Still no real change in our approach and what’s going on.»#GoAvsGo | #Sabrehood |… pic.twitter.com/llX9cPxoMc
— Guerilla Sports (@guerillasports_) January 2, 2025
It should also be noted that currently, the Avalanche has only $3.9 million of cap space, meaning they cannot activate Landeskog (with a cap hit of $7 million) without moving some money off the books. One might wonder if this will happen before the playoffs for that reason, as the team would probably have to part with a guy like Samuel Girard to make room for Landeskog (who likely isn’t the player he once was).
But in any case, seeing Landeskog skate with the rest of the group today is a nice story… and if it can inspire Avalanche captain Marc-Édouard Vlasic, who hasn’t played since the beginning of the season due to an injury, he will finally play his first game of the campaign today.
He hasn’t missed as many games as Landeskog, but it remains a nice story as well.
He will start his 19th season in the NHL! https://t.co/RqmleZhJvF
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) January 2, 2025
In brief
– Trevor Letowski shows love to Alexandre Carrier.
Habs assistant coach Trevor Letowski today on Alexandre Carrier’s impact since joining the Habs:
“Within the room there, he’s been a very valuable piece. I’m not sure how much credit he’s getting outside of the room but he deserves it. He’s been a very good player for us. He’s… pic.twitter.com/2egkQrEYFP
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) January 2, 2025
– They won the hearts of many during the tournament.
Not sure if TSN showed this but Latvia did a couple laps of the ice before leaving. #CanadasTeam pic.twitter.com/olhS7jZgqo
— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) January 2, 2025
– The guys are enjoying themselves.
The Habs boys in Chicago pic.twitter.com/R1WiMPLXWQ
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) January 2, 2025