DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche will once again be without captain Gabriel Landeskog for an entire season.
He didn't suit up in 2022-23 following knee surgery, and on Tuesday it was announced Landeskog will miss all of 2023-24 after undergoing cartilage transplant surgery in his knee.
In a subsequent media availability, Landeskog said retirement is not something he's contemplating, and he is encouraged by things he has read and people he has talked to about the surgery.
As such, he fully expects to play again when healed. Whether that becomes a reality is up in the air, but it raises some immediate questions for the Avalanche, and perhaps beings some silver linings as well.
Landeskog will no doubt be placed on long term injured reserve, thereby shelving his $7-million annual cap hit.
As Chris Micieli of Locked on Avalanche notes, this gives Colorado some flexibility salary wise, opening the door to re-sign J.T Compher and Evan Rodrigues, two key depth players who can become unrestricted free agents on July 1.
Micieli suggests possibly luring veteran players to Colorado on cheaper deals, but with the knowledge they might have a shot at a Stanley Cup, namely Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, or even former Avalanche center Ryan O'Reilly.
Or, they bank that cap space, see how the season goes, and be more active at the trade deadline than they were this year.
Even without Landeskog, the Avalanche finished first in the Central Division before being bumped out of the postseason by the Seattle Kraken. But, Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland noted, he can't be replaced straight up.
"Gabe Landeskog is a really special player in the NHL, and for our team, his importance transcends the ice," MacFarland said, per NHL.com. "In terms of replacing him, it's really hard just to replace your captain and what he does off the ice, as good of a player as he is on the ice. He's a hard guy to replace."
While the Landeskog update is unfortunate, it does give Colorado some flexibility, and they'll certainly be looking to retain key players and add to a roster that still has Stanley Cup aspirations.