Gabriel Landeskog’s season never started, but now it’s officially over.
The Avalanche captain will not play in the 2023 NHL playoffs, the team announced Thursday afternoon. Landeskog underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery in October and was initially assessed a 12-week recovery timeline, but the process has been pushed back multiple times.
Team management remained uncertain about his future throughout the regular season.
“He’s pushing himself to the limits of what he feels like he can do,” coach Jared Bednar said Wednesday.
Landeskog also underwent a clean-up surgery on his right knee in March 2022, missing the final 23 games of the regular season then returning for the start of the playoffs. He had a fantastic postseason, with 22 goals in 20 games to help lead the Avalanche to its third Stanley Cup championship.
Landeskog rehabbed on his own for a chunk of the 2022-23 season then returned to Denver in February. He started skating individually Feb. 21 but has not been a full participant in an Avalanche practice since then. With the team’s announcement, he has now missed 105 consecutive regular-season games going into the 2023 offseason.
