Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog ruled out for 2023 playoffs with knee injury

If the Colorado Avalanche want to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 2023, they’ll have to make do without the services of their captain.

The Avalanche have ruled out Gabriel Landeskog for the entirety of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs as he continues to recover from a knee injury.

Landeskog, 30, has also missed the entirety of the 2022–23 regular season while on the mend. The Stockholm-born winger is under contract through 2028–29 at a $7 million NHL cap hit.

Landeskog became the first European-born captain to lead the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games last spring.

The 2011 No. 2 pick recorded 11 goals and 22 points in 20 playoff contests to help the Avalanche capture their third league championship in 26 years since relocating from Quebec City.

But while Landeskog appeared in each of Colorado’s 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff games, he missed 31 during the regular season while recovering from knee surgery. He returned just in time for the start of the Avs’ playoff run.

Landeskog underwent surgery again in October 2022 after dealing with a nagging issue during the Avs’ 2022 training camp. Although the club initially provided a 12-week timeline, Landeskog ultimately never returned to action during the regular season and will remain sidelined during the postseason.

Through 738 career games over parts of 11 regular seasons with the Avalanche, Landeskog has collected 248 goals and 571 points. The six-foot-one left wing has added 27 goals and 67 points in 69 career playoff contests.

The Avalanche currently rank second in the Central Division with a 49–24–7 record through 80 games in the 2022–23 regular season. They’ve gone 8–1–1 in their last 10 games and can capture a third consecutive division title with wins in their remaining matchups against Winnipeg and Nashville.