Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss start of 2022–23 season with lower-body injury

Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog is expected to miss the start of the 2022–23 regular season with a lower-body injury, The Athletic‘s Peter Baugh reported Thursday.

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters Landeskog “won’t skate any time soon” while recovering from his injury. It’s unclear at this point when he might be expected to return.

Gabriel Landeskog “won’t skate anytime soon,” Jared Bednar said. He’s dealing with an injury from last year and will miss the start of the year.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) September 22, 2022

Landeskog, 29, scored 30 goals and 59 points in 51 games with the Avalanche during the 2021–22 regular season. He added 11 goals and 22 points in 20 playoff games as the Avalanche captured their third Stanley Cup.

In addition to Landeskog, Darren Helm (lower body), Valeri Nichushkin (lower body), and Josh Manson (personal reasons) did not practice with the Avalanche on Thursday.

With Landeskog not on the ice, the Avalanche elected to deploy Artturi Lehkonen and Alex Galchenyuk as their top two left wings during Thursday’s skate.

Galchenyuk, 28, is attending Avalanche training camp on a professional tryout. The 2012 No. 3 pick scored six goals and 21 points in 60 games with the Arizona Coyotes last season.

Lehkonen, 27, won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche three months ago after being acquired by the Montreal Canadiens at the 2022 trade deadline. The 5’11” Finn scored eight goals and 14 points in 20 games during the Avs’ playoff run.

Ben Meyers and Andrew Cogliano also skated on the left wing in the main group during Thursday’s Avalanche training camp sessions.