“Gabriel Landeskog will not play due to a lower-body injury. He is week-to-week,” the Colorado Avalanche announced on their social media, via @Avalanche on X.

After missing the past three NHL regular seasons due to a knee injury, Landeskog made his return during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, setbacks have been a recurring issue for the veteran forward. The latest injury update provided by the Avs is yet another concerning reminder for MacKinnon and company that their captain is far from at his peak form.

So far in the 2025-26 NHL campaign, Landeskog has appeared in 47 games, scoring 9 goals and assisting in 20 more for a total of 29 points.

Colorado can afford to sit Landeskog

Fortunately for the Avalanche, it holds a seven-point lead over the Dallas Stars for first place in the Central Division and the entire NHL standings. Thanks to its star-studded lineup, Colorado can weather the storm if Landeskog is to miss considerable time.

Perhaps, allowing Landeskog to recover is the right procedure for the Avs. So far, MacKinnon and company have shown no signs of slowing down. If they can cruise through the remainder of the regular season, the captain may return fully healthy for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

According to Tankathon, the Avalanche will face the third-easiest remaining schedule based on strength of schedule. With 21 games left in the season, the Avs will face opponents with an average win percentage of .532. Therefore, Landeskog’s absence may affect the team, but it shouldn’t be catastrophic for a squad that is widely favored to go all the way and hoist the Stanley Cup.

Colorado’s offense showed brief flashes of resistance, led by Nathan MacKinnon, who registered a goal and an assist, and Martin Necas, who contributed two assists. However, goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood endured a tough outing, conceding five goals on only 18 shots. He was pulled early in the third period and replaced by Scott Wedgewood, who stopped all eight shots he faced — though the outcome was largely decided by that point.

The Avalanche briefly narrowed the deficit in the second period, with goals from Artturi Lehkonen and MacKinnon cutting Dallas’ lead to 3-2. But the Stars responded emphatically — Wyatt Johnston netted his second goal of the night to re-establish a two-goal cushion, and Mason Marchment added another to make it 5-2.

Landeskog’s admission

Following the defeat, Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog didn’t shy away from critiquing his team’s execution and lack of urgency. “We knew they were going to come out with their best effort, no doubt. I didn’t think we had the best execution to start the game, and even throughout the game, to be honest,” Landeskog said, according to NHL.com.

He added: “There were some plays where we made almost uncharacteristic mistakes here and there, but stuff’s going to happen. … So, we’re going to clean that up here come Thursday.”

Avalanche effort falls short

While Colorado showed some fight, it wasn’t enough to overcome Dallas’ early dominance. Postgame, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar underlined the importance of collective consistency in the postseason. “You can’t have guys having bad nights this time of the year,” Bednar said.

“You’ve heard me say it all along, it’s going to come down to playing good teams that finish in similar spots in the standings, so you’ve got to go play your best hockey for two weeks in order to win, right? If you’ve got good players having bad nights, it’s not your best hockey. (When) you’re firing on all cylinders, like Game 3 and Game 4, things start to look a lot better.” Bernard added.

Landeskog wasted no time in making his presence felt during Game 3. After being sidelined for over two years, the Avalanche’s captain was shot out of a cannon as the playoff series shifted to Ball Arena in Denver. During his first shift, Landeskog layed the body on Rantanen—of every Stars players—prompting an eruption from the sold-out barn.

It wasn’t enough for Colorado to take the series lead over Dallas, as the visiting team managed to weather the storm and eventually took the wind out of the Avs’ sails, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime.

Rantanen played his second game in Colorado’s home arena, but this time with a different jersey than the familiar burgundy and blue. It was also his first time facing Landeskog on the opposite side, and he’ll certainly carry a bruise as a reminder of the encounter.

However, there wasn’t no ill-intention from Landeskog. After the game, the Avalanche’s skipper made sure to remind Rantanen of it, with a sincere comment.

“Regardless of what jersey [Rantanen] wears, I love him,” Gabriel Landeskog admitted during his postgame press conference.

Emotions running high

Landeskog endured a grueling journey, defying medical odds en route to a miraculous comeback from knee cartilage replacement surgery. It was never about the money—his net worth speaks for itself—but about pride, and silencing the noise when few believed a return was even possible.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and the Avs’ captain poured his heart into every step of the way. No matter the final score, his magical return to the NHL was a victory in itself.

“It was amazing. I’m just blessed and very fortunate to be able to feel those feeling,” Landeskog said. “I mean, that’s a memory for life. As simple as that”

A marathon, not a sprint

The race is far from over for the Avalanche. As deflating as their last home-ice loss may feel, they’re still just one win away from evening the series—and turning it into anybody’s game.

“It’s a 7-game series for a reason,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar confidently said after the loss in Game 3, delivering a calm and collected message to the locker room during his postgame press conference.

The Avalanche will have an extra day to regroup and get ready for Game 4 on Saturday night at Ball Arena. They’ll need to come out of the gate with urgency, as another loss to the Stars would put them on the brink of elimination when the series shifts back to Dallas for Game 5. A win on Saturday, however, would guarantee a Game 6 back in Colorado.

Landeskog’s return is the culmination of a grueling journey, plagued by persistent right knee issues that required multiple surgeries—including a cartilage transplant on May 10, 2023—and numerous rehabilitation setbacks. His arduous path has been chronicled in the documentary series A Clean Sheet, which offers an intimate look at the physical and emotional toll of his recovery.

“Now it’s kind of go time,” Landeskog told Altitude Sports before the game, revealing a mix of nerves and anticipation surrounding his return. His last NHL appearance had come on June 26, 2022, in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, when Colorado defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning to capture the championship. In his return to the lineup, Landeskog logged 13:16 of ice time, though he did not register a shot on goal.

Rantanen commends Landeskog’s grit

Among those celebrating Landeskog’s comeback was former teammate Mikko Rantanen, now with the Dallas Stars. “It’s great. As a friend, I’m very happy for him,” Rantanen said.

He added: “I was happy to see him play a couple games in the AHL. Well deserved, because the journey he’s been through—I don’t think anybody else in hockey has gone through what he’s gone through. It’s remarkable he’s coming back.“ Rantanen’s comments reflect the deep admiration shared across the league for Landeskog’s perseverance and leadership, qualities that have long defined his tenure as captain.

Landeskog: Looking ahead

Landeskog’s return provides both a symbolic and tactical boost for the Avalanche as they continue their playoff battle against Stars. Beyond the box score, his presence is a powerful testament to tenacity, commitment, and love for the game—an inspiration for teammates, fans, and the broader hockey community.

Gabriel Landeskog, the charismatic captain of the Colorado Avalanche, has become one of the most recognizable figures, not just for his leadership on the ice, but for the quiet empire he’s built off it.

After lifting the Stanley Cup and weathering seasons filled with both triumph and injury, his career earnings and endorsements have steadily grown. While he’s kept a low profile, his financial trajectory tells its own fascinating story.

With real estate rumors swirling and savvy off-ice moves hinted at, the question remains: how much has the Swedish star really amassed? His net worth isn’t just about his paycheck—it’s about how he’s played the long game.

What is Gabriel Landeskog’s net worth?

As of 2025, Gabriel Landeskog’s estimated net worth is approximately $40 million, primarily accumulated through his NHL career earnings. According to Spotrac and HockeyZonePlus, he has earned over $72.9 million in salary to date.

This figure reflects his substantial contracts with the Colorado Avalanche, including a seven-year, $39 million extension signed in 2013 and an eight-year, $56 million deal inked in 2021, as Cap Wages reported.

What is Gabriel Landeskog’s salary?

Gabriel Landeskog inked an eight-year, $56 million extension with the Avalanche, securing his position with the team through the 2028-29 season. For the 2024-25 season, he’s set to earn a base salary of $9 million, with a cap hit of $7 million.

The contract includes a full no-movement clause in the initial four years and a modified no-trade clause thereafter, underscoring his value to the franchise, according to sources like Sportskeeda and Spotrac.

Gabriel Landeskog’s NHL career

Gabriel Landeskog’s path to NHL stardom began far from Denver, in the heart of Stockholm, Sweden. A hockey prodigy from an early age, he debuted with Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish pro league at just 16.

But it was his move to North America to join the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL that truly launched his ascent. His physical style, maturity, and leadership quickly turned heads across the scouting world.

In 2011, the Colorado Avalanche made him the second overall pick in the NHL Draft, and he wasted no time proving them right. He won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2012, becoming just the second Swede ever to earn that honor.

That same year, at only 19, he was named captain of the Avalanche, becoming the youngest captain in team history, and the youngest in NHL history at the time. Over the next decade, he anchored Colorado through highs and lows, becoming a pillar of consistency and grit.

His blend of scoring touch and two-way play made him a fixture on the top line, while his leadership helped guide the Avalanche through a rebuild and into contention. That journey reached its peak in 2022, when he lifted the Stanley Cup after years of pursuit.

With over 250 goals and 300 assists to his name, he remains one of the franchise’s defining figures. A knee injury suffered during the 2022 Cup run sidelined him for two full seasons, a tough blow for both player and team.

Yet in a dramatic twist, he has been activated just ahead of the 2025 playoffs. His return brings renewed hope to a squad looking to recapture glory and adds another chapter to a career already rich with triumph, tenacity, and leadership.

The Stars-Avalanche series resumes in Colorado at a deadlock, following Dallas’ 4-3 overtime victory at American Airlines Center. Landeskog appeared awfully close to making his official return to an NHL ice during Game 2, yet he served as a scratch.

As the Avs return to Ball Arena, where MacKinnon has only been held off the score sheet twice this season. Since being blanked against the Oilers on December 1, MacKinnon boasts a 26-game home point streak, which he’ll hope to extend into the postseason series against the Stars.

After a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Stars, MacKinnon and the Avalanche are searching for a spark in Game 3—and head coach Jared Bednar may have ignited one with his latest update on Landeskog.

“There’s a good chance Landeskog plays tonight,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar stated, in dialogue with 92.5 FM Denver’s Altitude Sports Radio.

Power play addition

Shortly after Bednar’s statement, Landeskog was one of the first Avalanche players on the ice during the team’s morning skate. The 32-year-old captain wore a jersey indicating he will be in the team’s second power-play unit.

During the 2021–22 season—his most recent on the ice—Landeskog recorded 59 points, including 15 on the power play.

Old friend in town

Mikko Rantanen has yet to rediscover in Dallas the success he’s consistently enjoyed throughout his NHL career in Colorado. However, the first round series against the Avalanche might provide the best scenario for ‘The Moose’ to step up his game.

“It’s different now, you know, for sure,“ Rantanen admitted about taking on the Avalanche on the road. “Good friends off the ice, but I think now for next however [long] it takes, this series, we’re obviously enemies, so we compete hard.”

The Avalanche couldn’t build on their Game 1 victory and take a commanding 2-0 series lead back to Denver, where the Avalanche have one of the best home records in the NHL‘s recent history.

It was a heartbreaking defeat, conceding the game-winning goal to Dallas in overtime, after appearing to be in control for much of the extra time period. One loose puck in front of the crease, a golden opportunity for Colin Blackwell, an unsung hero for the Stars, who rose to the ocassion in the brightest of spotlights.

Bednar and Colorado shouldn’t, and oughtn’t, hang their heads in sorrow and defeat, the series is wide open and they’re taking an even score back to their home-ice in Mile High City. Moreover, they could finally welcome Landeskog back to the starting lineup.

“[Landeskog] wanted to get in the groove and take warm up tonight and get in the room… be part of it,” Bednar admitted in his postgame press conference about Landeskog’s participation during warmups. “So that’s why he did that.”

Coincidence or not

Landeskog was awfully close to participating in Game 2, or so it looked like, as he participated in the team’s warmups and fans thought for sure he’d start as Myles Wood appeared in the scratches list, but his name was flipped with Landeskog’s shortly after.

As it turned out, Wood was partially responsible for Blackwell’s game-winning goal, as he strayed from the puck and was late getting to the rebound, allowing the Stars’ fourth-liner to take a second, this time lethal, shot on net. “The last play was my fault,” Wood boldly stated postgame, via COL Hockey Now.

New series

The Avs and Stars now head to Denver with the series deadlocked. It’s wide open for both sides: Dallas will aim to ride their wave of momentum and steal a pivotal Game 3 on the road, shifting the pressure onto Colorado.

Meanwhile, the Avalanche will look to flip the script and feed off the electric atmosphere inside Ball Arena. And with Landeskog’s potential return looming, the captain’s presence could be the final spark that blows the roof off the barn.

Winning the opening game of any playoff series is pivotal in the NHL, but it becomes even more rewarding when it happens on the road — as the Avalanche did at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Worst-case scenario: Bednar and Colorado will return to Denver with a tied series; best-case scenario, they take a 2-0 lead back to Ball Arena, where they’re even stronger. However, the Stars have recently found success playing the Avs in the Mile High City during the postseason, handing them three losses in their last series in the 2023-24 season.

Moreover, the precedent is not looking bright for the Avalanche, who won Game 1 in Dallas last season before falling in six games to the Stars. Dallas hasn’t forgotten about it, as Wyatt Johnston warned the players in Colorado. However, the Avs are hoping to do things differently this time around, and the return of their captain, Landeskog, could be just the differentiating element.

Can Landeskog play in Game 2?

Landeskog didn’t play during the Avalanche’s 5-1 victory in Dallas, further fueling the popular belief among fans that his return is being reserved for Game 3 at Ball Arena. At the end of the day, the Stanley Cup-winning captain deserves a fitting welcome reception after an over two-year absence from the ice.

However, playoff hockey doesn’t wait for anybody, and injuries can emerge unexpectedly. And so it ocurred during Game 1 versus the Stars, as Ross Colton sustained a lower-body injury. Though an update hasn’t been provided on his injury, Bednar confirmed Landeskog is an option to replace Colton if the 28-year-old forward can’t play in Game 2.

No setbacks

Despite missing Game 1 and not participating in the optional morning skate on Sunday, Bednar made it clear that Landeskog is still headed in the right direction with his recovery, and that his absence was just another step toward his official return for the Avalanche.

Understandably, the fanbase in Denver is anxious to see Landeskog back on the ice, but the last thing anyone in the organization — or in the NHL — wants is for him to re-aggravate the injury by rushing back.

Stars enters the series dealing with two key injuries, while Colorado faces uncertainty in goal that is expected to be clarified as the games progress. However, the most surprising development for the Avalanche is the potential return of their captain, Gabriel Landeskog, who has not played since the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.

The possibility of Landeskog’s return was revealed in a report by Meghan Angley of Guerrilla Sports, who quoted head coach Jared Bednar: “Jared Bednar said that Gabriel Landeskog is an option in the series.” The statement has sparked a wave of optimism among Colorado fans, who have sorely missed their captain during his extended absence.

Landeskog has been sidelined by persistent knee issues, which have kept him out of professional competition since 2022. Earlier this month, he took a significant step forward in his recovery by appearing in two AHL games, marking his first competitive action in nearly two years.

Landeskog: A return that defies expectations

The very notion that Gabriel Landeskog could suit up for this playoff series speaks volumes about his determination and the dedicated efforts of the medical and training staff. After undergoing a cartilage transplant in May 2023, many around the NHL believed his career might be over. His potential return for such a critical series now represents what many are calling nothing short of a miracle.

What’s next for Stars and Avalanche?

The Avalanche and Stars will open their series Saturday night in Dallas. Even if Landeskog’s return is delayed, Colorado remains confident in its depth and playoff readiness, with players like Brock Nelson, Charlie Coyle, and Ryan Lindgren poised to deliver in key moments. The uncertainty surrounding Landeskog adds yet another layer of intrigue to a series already filled with anticipation and high stakes.

Landeskog hasn’t appeared in an NHL game since June 26, 2022, during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, when the Avalanche hoisted their third championship in franchise history.

It’s been an uphill battle for Landeskog ever since, as he has endured knee cartilage replacement surgery—a procedure often considered career-ending. However, the veteran captain for Mile High City’s franchise has showcased remarkable resiliency, coming out on top and preparing to return to the ice on the sport’s biggest stage: the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Having witnessed Landeskog’s journey firsthand, MacKinnon and the Avalanche are eager to officially welcome him back to the lineup when they take on the Dallas Stars in the first round of the NHL postseason.

Naturally, some early struggles are to be expected for Landeskog, who has only played in two AHL games following an absence of over two years. Regardless, MacKinnon made something clear about his captain’s return.

“It doesn’t mean anything, he’s Gabe Landeskog at the end of the day,” Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon firmly stated, per DNVR Avalanche on X. “Obviously, there’s going to be some rust, three years is a crazy amount of time off. He hasn’t really been practicing that much, either.

“We’ve just been so busy, there’s been no practice which is too bad for him. But, I think he looks great. You can still see those instincts [in game situations] are there. He’s still got it, for sure.”

Landeskog’s self assessment

Following his two-game stint with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, the 32-year-old forward made an honest evaluation about his performance during his first outings after a three-year inactivity.

“In terms of timing, touches, and things like that, [I am] not anywhere near to where I wanted to be, but I think it’s a good step in the right direction,” Landeskog admitted. “Just a different feeling [in the second game], being able to get into that flow state, stay in the moment.”

After being kept off the scoresheet in his first game back, Landeskog registered a goal and an assist during his second outing with the Eagles, leading the team to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Henderson Silver Knights. MacKinnon chimed in and offered his two cents on his captain’s performance in the AHL.

“I thought every shift he looked better. I thought Game two he looked a lot better as well,” MacKinnon said. “He almost played 20 minutes or something like that, so yeah, he’s in a good spot. Hopefully he can keep progressing and we’ll have him back here this weekend.“

Trending in the right direction

Though no official announcement has been made on Landeskog’s status during the Dallas-Colorado series, head coach Jared Bednar hinted at the captain’s return with a firm message.

According to Guerrilla Sports, Bednar and the Avalanche are hopeful they’ll feature a fully-healthy lineup, including Landeskog during Game 1 against the Stars.

The Avs and Stars will meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in a row, as Dallas eliminated Colorado in last season’s second round meeting. This time around, MacKinnon and Bednar will have an ace under their sleeves, as Captain Landeskog is expected to provide a huge morale boost upon his return to the rink.